29 September 2022
Islanders will be able to book ‘same day’ confidential sexual health checks from
Monday [1OCT] after similar clinics proved to be successful during Sexual Health
Awareness Week.
The GUM Clinic based in the Outpatient’s Department of Jersey General Hospital will
be running ‘same day’ free appointments on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The move to change the formats of the clinics comes following feedback from patients
and also the uptake of Islanders attending drop-in sessions organised as part of
Sexual Health Awareness Week. During the awareness week held earlier in
September, 31 patients attended the ‘same day’ clinics which were held across two
days. A total of 84 patients were seen across the whole week.
‘Same day’ appointments are open to Islanders with and without symptoms. Due to
the confidential nature of the service and the size of the waiting room, Islanders must
book to attend. To book, Islanders should call the GUM Clinic on 01534 442856
between 8am and 9am on the day of the clinic.
Anyone with an urgent concern outside of the scheduled ‘same day’ clinic days
should call the department for advice.
Patients who require PrEP, vaccines and other follow-up treatments or referrals will
still need to book an appointment by emailing S.H@gov.je.
Although the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are low in Jersey, regular
sexual health screenings are essential in preventing the transmission of STIs and to
ensure any infections are treated as soon as possible. This is because many STIs
have no symptoms and so many people do not realise that they are infected.
Katie Squires, Clinical Nurse Specialist from the Sexual Health Team, said: “Anyone
can get an STI. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve had sex or how many
partners you’ve had.
“Being screened regularly keeps you and other people safe and healthy. Please get in
touch with our clinics to discuss your sexual health - we offer a free, friendly and
confidential service to everyone, regardless of their age, gender or sexual
orientation.”
The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Karen Wilson, added: “It is
wonderful that the team are improving access to GUM clinics in this way. This kind of
innovative service delivery is a sign of how we want services more generally to move
forward.”
The Sexual Health team would like to hear Islanders’ feedback to ensure that it is
delivering a service that is preferred by the public. Feedback can be provided
anonymously via the online Submit feedback to the Government of Jersey form.
gov.je