By Lucy Ashton
Under-pressure GPs have told how they have witnessed a rise in STDs in Helensburgh since sexual health clinics were shut down in the area.
They say they have been left struggling to take up the slack in sexual and women’s health without proper backing and do not even have a supply of free condoms to offer residents.
Clinicians spoke out following NHS Highland’s failure to make provision for the services in Helensburgh and Lomond, which is home to the Clyde Naval Base at Faslane.
One healthcare worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “We need some essential sexual health services in the area.
“We have absolutely no services and it has been left to GP practices to pick up the pieces for the local population.”
The move has piled more pressure on GPs who are shoring up the frontline in the wake of the Covid pandemic and struggling to help patients left on the waiting list for delayed ops.
The clinician added: “This is putting yet more pressures on GP practices, who do not have specialised sexual health training and don’t have the resources available to them to refer patients on to receive appropriate treatments.
“We have not even got any free condom services available to prevent sexual transmitted infections and prevent unnecessary pregnancies, as these have also been discontinued.
“We have noted an increase in screening requested and a rise in infections.”
Specialist sexual health services were previously available in Helensburgh, but only on Fridays.
We told previously how the service was hit by the retirement of the specialist staff involved and no replacement has yet been found.
Patients from the NHS Highland catchment are also unable to access sexual health services at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s dedicated Sandyford Clinic.
NHS Highland’s agreement for services to be delivered via the Sandyford was terminated in 2015.
Until last year, patients from Helensburgh and Lomond were seen at a specialist clinic in the East King Street-based Victoria Integrated Care Centre.
But these were suspended after the doctor in charge retired.
Practices have been left struggling to support those needing sexual health services and women requiring contraceptive or menopause help.
The NHS worker added: “The reduced access and support for sexual health management is impacting on patient care.”
We revealed in February that patients were being diverted to clinics in Campbeltown, Oban and Lochgilphead to access sexual health services or asked to contact their GP.
But now GPs are struggling to step into the breach, whilst lacking health board support.
Helensburgh and Lomond MSP, Jackie Baillie, highlighted the issue earlier this year after it emerged patients were being asked to travel to Argyll for services.
She said: “It is ridiculous that patients in Helensburgh and Lomond should be left without sexual and women’s health services.
“This is a problem that has been known to both Argyll & Bute Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS Highland for some time, and little appears to have been done to remedy it.
“It is not acceptable to pile further pressure on GPs and their staff without even the basic support or the necessary basic supplies and lay the problem at someone else’s door.
“This is down to a failure on the part of the board and HSCP to plan for service delivery and it is they who should remedy it urgently.
“NHS Highland made pledges in respect of local treatment delivery when responsibility for service provision in Helensburgh and Lomond transferred to them and they are failing to stand by those.”