It is virtually impossible to obtain an appointment at any of the four sexual health clinics in North London without repeated abortive phone calls or going in person to make an appointment, according to a survey carried out by Haringey Lib Dem health spokesperson Cllr Ron Aitken.

All the clinics serving the population in this part of London relied on recorded messages or on callers ringing back at a specific time when lines would be overloaded with callers.

According to the London Health Observatory in 2003 around one in every two syphilis diagnoses, one in four chlamydia and one third of all gonorrhoea infections recorded in England were in London. Londoners also bear the highest burden of HIV in England with 20,000 receiving treatment and an estimated 8,600 undiagnosed in the same year.

North London is served by in Archway N19, St Ann’s Hospital N15, Barnet EN5 and the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, yet when they were telephoned over a period of two days it was not possible to speak to a member of staff or make an appointment:

Archway Sexual Health Clinic
Recorded message asking caller to press 1 or 2 depending on whether they require male or female appointment – when pressed both said in a recorded message that all appointments had gone and to call back at 10am the next day for an appointment the following day. At eight minutes past 10 on Thursday morning all male appointments had gone. If callers were under 20 there was a drop- in service on Tuesdays.

Zone 15 St Ann’s Hospital
Recorded message saying all operators are busy and there was no opportunity to leave a message. A subsequent call reached a member of staff who said the caller would have to call back at 9.30 in the morning.

Clare Simpson House Sexual Health Clinic Barnet
Recorded message informing callers that no appointments were available but to ring back on Wednesday or Monday (which was the following week). No opportunity to leave a message.

Heath Clinic, Marlborough Department, Royal Free Hospital
Callers informed clinic is closed and to ring back Monday to Friday 11-12 or 1.30 to 3.30 or to call in person to make an appointment.

“Clearly the staff working in these NHS Centres are under enormous pressure and cannot cope with the demand for appointments. However it is a matter of deep concern that people who need a check-up or test will simply give up or put off seeking treatment for sexually transmitted diseases,” said Cllr Aitken.

“The Government has set a target of ensuring that all those who contact STD clinics are offered an appointment within 48 hours. This is clearly not being met and the date the Government has set for meeting this target is 2008 – unambitious and potentially allowing the enormous increase in STDs in London to continue.”

Nigel Scott, Information Officer of the Herpes Viruses Association and Vice Chair of the Skin Care Campaign adds:

“These results confirm the findings of several other national surveys. Sexual Health Clinics are struggling to cope and people who can’t get through, or are offered delayed appointments, may go without treatment and compound the problem. Some infections, like genital herpes, are only diagnosed when symptoms are present so patients need to be seen immediately.”

Cllr Aitken has called for more detailed information on appointment waiting times and for proper funding of STD services to ensure that calls are dealt with in person rather than condemning people to recorded messages and having to call back at times when the system will be engaged.