To improve the sexual health of people living in Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and Lancashire by: challenging historic perspectives; promoting a change in culture; and continually improving education, prevention, treatment and support services.
The Network aims to operate across the wider sexual health agenda and not just the provision of services; engaging in an exploration of myths and taboos and promoting a change in culture. Developing a wider understanding of sex, sexuality and sexual orientation; acknowledging that we all have a role to play in bringing about change. Integral to this is challenging the prejudice, stigma and discrimination that can negatively affect sexual health.
The Network also aims to develop outcome measures, ensure quality standards and strive for excellence and modernisation in sexual health service provision to improve the sexual health of the population of Lancashire whilst achieving organisational targets. A number of key PCT targets directly depend on the provision of good quality and effective sexual health services.
PSA - 11a Teenage conception rates.
PSA - 11b Access to GUM Clinics.
PSA - 11c Decrease in rates of new diagnosis of gonorrhoea.
PSA - 11d %of females’ aged 15-24 accepting Chlamydia screening.
Other relevant targets include the Health Care Commission targets relating to long-term contraception (LARC) and termination of pregnancy services (TOP). Choosing Health has resulted in a national programme of reviews of local GUM and contraceptive services. These reviews will produce recommendations for change and investment. Achieving sexual health priority targets and standards will be an important part of measuring their effectiveness. This requires ownership and leadership from PCT boards and Executive teams.
Nationally existing Networks tend to focus around a specific specialty or care group i.e. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Cancer. The Pan Lancashire Sexual Health Network intends to focus on sexual health as a care group, which itself comprises a number of specialties. This approach acknowledges that many services are interdependent on each other; that all require significant review and/or development; the time constraints of PCT leads and other expert stakeholders. The complexity of this approach can be managed via the development of a clear network structure and action plan.
The Sexual Health Independent Advisory Group (SHIAG) was set up to monitor the progress of the National Strategy for sexual health and HIV. Seven years into the strategy SHIAG commissioned MedFASH to undertake a review of what has been achieved and what still needs to be done. The review published in July 2008 identifies five key priority areas and outlines action needed at each level; national, regional and local. This Network strategy adopts these five key priorities and blends the regional and local strands to provide a series of actions to inform the network work programme. This will support the Network and its key stakeholders to work in partnership to identify opportunities for collaboration which compliment rather than duplicate activity.
Priority 1
Prioritising sexual health as a key public health issue and sustaining high level leadership at local, regional and National levels
Priority 2
Building strategic partnerships
Priority 3
Commissioning for improved sexual health
Priority 4
Investing more in prevention
Priority 5
Delivering Modern Sexual health services