Sexual health services must be boosted to stop the spread of infections, Labour warns
SEXUAL health services must be boosted to help stop the spread of infections, Labour has warned.
Cuts to town hall budgets dealing with this has fallen by £55 million in just five years are “short-sighted”, they say.
Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth today highlights how face-to-face consultations has fallen by 85,000.
The total number of contacts with sexual health services has dropped by 245,000 since 2015/16.
Figures from Public Health England show about 420,000 STIs were diagnosed in England in 2017.
Labour will use an Opposition Day Motion in the House of Commons on Tuesday to try and force the Government to reverse cuts to public health budgets.
Mr Ashworth said: ““These deep cuts to sexual health services are completely short-sighted and will only lead to wider pressures on the NHS in the long term.
“The government can’t be taken seriously on their commitment to prevention while at the same time cutting vital services that provide contraception, tackle sexually transmitted infections and offer crucial support and advice.”
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A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have a strong track record on sexual health with teenage pregnancies at an all-time low and sexually transmitted infections remaining stable.
“Sexual health services and tests are now more widely available online – over 11,000 diagnoses from online tests were reported last year.
“Prevention is at the heart of the NHS Long Term Plan, and comes alongside the £3 billion we are giving to councils to fund public health services this year, including sexual health services.”
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