UK government fails to take action to tackle the sexual health crisis within the NHS

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 21 Jul 2004 - 17:00 PDT

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The UK Government's failure to include sexual health in the NHS Planning and Priorities Framework for 2005-8, published today, will worsen the sexual heath crisis in the UK and hamper efforts to prevent new HIV infections from continuing to rise.

Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of the National AIDS Trust said:

"The consequence of the Government's failure to prioritise sexual health within the NHS over the next three years will be rising rates of HIV and sexual transmitted infections.

"We already have 50 000 people living with HIV in the UK and a year on year rise of 20% in new infections. The failure to prioritise sexual health will cost the country more in the long run and shows that the Government's stated commitment to tackling HIV and AIDS internationally is not backed up by action at home."

In a joint response to the Government's Public Health Consultation, Choosing Health - the National AIDS Trust (NAT) and other sexual health charities called on the Government to make sexual health and HIV a public health priority. The joint response also called for specific standards and targets for improvement in services over the next three years and for sexual health and HIV to be made local priorities for Primary Care Trusts.

For more information contact Emma Bickerstaff at NAT on:
020 7814 6730/07947 725299

Notes to the Editor

The National AIDS Trust (NAT) is the UK's leading HIV and AIDS policy development and campaigning organisation providing an independent voice on behalf of the HIV sector.

NAT works in the UK and internationally for policies that will prevent HIV transmission, improve access to treatment, challenge HIV stigma and discrimination and secure the political leadership to effectively fight AIDS.

Emma Bickerstaff
Media Officer
National AIDS Trust
T: 020 7814 6730
m: 07947 725 299
http://www.nat.org.uk

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