LGA replies to UKHSA numbers on new STI diagnosis 2023
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Community Wellbeing Board for the Local Government Association, made the following statement in response to numbers released by the UK Health Security Agency which showed a rise of 23.8% in the number of new diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections in 2022:
“These new statistics continue to show that local council-commissioned sexual health services are at risk of breaking point, with rising demand coming at the same time as cuts to funding in real terms,” said one of the researchers who worked on the study. “In real terms, the funding has been cut by ten percent.”
Our Breaking Point analysis noted increased demand on local sexual health services.
“It is encouraging to see more people visiting their local sexual health clinic, which is a testament to the work of councils with hard-to-reach communities in their areas, as well as the new cutting-edge treatments that are available. “
“However, without a long-term increase in councils’ public health grant funding, which is used to support vital sexual health services, this is becoming increasingly unsustainable.”
It is the responsibility of the federal government to guarantee that financing for sexual and reproductive health is increased to levels that are commensurate with the rises in demand reported by local services. Early intervention helps the health care save money and prevents issues from developing further down the road. Investment in this area helps achieve these goals.
