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A new sexual health service for Southend launches on Wednesday 1 July 2015 with improved access to sexual and reproductive health care from a choice of venues for Southend residents.
A partnership between South Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust (SEPT), Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Brook has been awarded the contract by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to provide integrated sexual health services in Southend for the next five years.
Whether you need advice on contraception, testing for sexually transmitted infections or are worried about your sexual health, you will be able to access support at any one of our centres across Southend. The centres are:
Alison Keefe, sexual health clinic manager at Southend University Hospital, said:
“What’s great about this partnership is that it will offer a better choice for local people as the service expands. This means we can reach far more people than ever before and spread the right message and right help whilst having a positive impact on the sexual health of people, young and old, across Southend.”
Jane Hughes, Deputy Chief Executive, Brook commented:
"For most young people, access to health services they trust will have a wide and lasting impact on their lives, and partnership working is a crucial component of enabling that access. We are thrilled to be working in partnership with SEPT and Southend Hospital and look forward to working with professionals across the area to build the skills, confidence, knowledge and resilience of Southend young people."
Karen Payne, Head of Contraception & Sexual Health Services at SEPT said:
“We’re really excited to be part of a partnership that from the 1 July will see all of our staff trained to provide all aspects of sexual and reproductive health.
“People in Southend will now be able to get support from a centre that is most convenient for them.”
All services, wherever they are delivered, will be confidential, free and accessible, and managed by trained professional staff. Visitors will not need a referral from their GP, they will just be able to call for an appointment.
More information about SEPT
With an annual turnover of approximately £320 million, South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) is one of the most successful Foundation Trusts in the country, providing integrated care including mental health, learning disability, social care and community services.
We provide these services across Bedfordshire, Essex and Luton and Suffolk, employ approximately 7,000 people and serve a population of 2.5 million. We work with a wide range of partner organisations to deliver care and support to people in their own homes and from a number of hospital and community based premises. We have many modern community based resource centres and clinics to provide local services to local people where possible.
More information about Southend University Hospital
Southend University Hospital provides acute services from our main Prittlewell Chase site and at outlying satellite clinics across the region. We maintain nearly 700 inpatient beds, serving a local population of 338,800 as well as anyone who chooses us for treatment.
We have circa 4,500 staff and provide a comprehensive range of acute services including acute medical and surgical specialties, general medicine, general surgery, orthopaedics, ear, nose and throat, ophthalmology, cancer treatments, renal dialysis, obstetrics and gynaecology and children's services.
Southend University Hospital is the south Essex surgical centre for uro-oncology and gynae-oncology surgery and is considered to be a centre of excellence for the care of stroke. Also offered are breast screening, ophthalmology and orthodontic services to the wider south Essex population.
For media enquiries please contact Brook's press office on 07789 682831 or email press@brook.org.uk
Notes to editors
Brook believes that young people should have access to great sexual health services and wellbeing support.
Brook provides free and confidential sexual health information, contraception, pregnancy testing, advice and counselling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and education programmes, reaching nearly 235,000 young people nationwide every year.
Read our Strategic Plan 2017-2020 and learn more about the difference we make in our latest Success Report.
