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.

Highgate’s Lib Dem councillors have welcomed Haringey Council’s assurance that they will be asking the police to assess vehicle speeds at various locations along North Road and North Hill, N6.

Councillors Bob Hare and Neil Williams have long been calling for measures to slow traffic on the busy roads, especially as they pass one secondary and two primary and infant schools. Despite the fact that this route from Archway to the A1 passes through Highgate Village, many drivers prefer it to Archway Road.

There have been numerous accidents over the years with two fatalities in the last two years, and residents have raised concerns regarding these roads to councillors through letters and resident survey responses.

Cllr Hare is pleased that Haringey Council is now addressing this issue. However, they are keen to emphasise the need for action to be taken to reduce speeding on the road after the speed assessments are completed.

Cllr Bob Hare (Highgate) comments:

“Building in speed controls is essential if traffic speeds are to be limited to what is safe. This is especially important near the schools. We shall also be encouraging the schools here to develop their own ‘Safer Routes’ programmes to help make the case for these much needed measures.”

Local MP Lynne Featherstone adds:

“North Road and Hill are relatively wide roads, which encourages speeding. Unfortunately, all too many of the drivers seem to view these roads as a dual carriageway, rather than the busy urban streets, with many pedestrians and school children, that they are.”

Local Liberal Democrats are calling for improvements to the shape of the site of the old Coldfall Lodge site before any proposed development is given planning permission.

The Lodge is a cottage which formerly housed the woodkeeper. It is located immediately alongside the east boundary of the wood on Creighton Avenue. The verandah of the current building originally provided toilets and extends by approximately 1m into Coldfall Woods.

The Lodge is likely to be demolished and replaced by new housing. While it has been accepted by Haringey Council that no future buildings would be placed on that small section of the site, local Lib Dems feel it is important to ensure the woods are protected by formally straightening the boundary.

“We strongly support a small alteration to the Lodge boundary to prevent it intruding into the woods,” says ward councillor Matt Davies. “If this site is to be developed with housing then Coldfall Woods must not suffer any negative effect.”

“I raised this with the Council when the sale was originally being discussed,” says Cllr Bob Hare, Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson. “I have again been in contact with the appropriate officers to ensure that this small but significant step is taken.

“Coldfall Woods need the full protection of the Council. Ensuring that the boundary of the woods is straightened gives a more sensible boundary, removes the visual intrusion of the present Lodge boundary, and will improve safety by giving clear sight lines on the public path, ensuring residents can enjoy this valuable amenity even more,” added Cllr Hare. “Straightening the edge of the site should be easy as building would not happen on this area anyway. It would, however, be advantageous for the woods.”

Lib Dem Councillor for Muswell Hill, Gail Engert’s campaign to get a 102 night bus service for the area is gathering pace.

The campaign, launched last month by Cllr Engert to provide a night service of the busy 102 bus, linking Muswell Hill to the centres of Golders Green, East Finchley, Bounds Green, Palmers Green and Edmonton Green, has received support from local user and environmental groups as well as a positive response from local police.

This support from the likes of Living Streets, Safer Neighbourhoods and Haringey Bus Watch has been encouraging to Cllr Engert, who is to meet with Transport for London (TfL) bosses next month to discuss her proposal.

Cllr Engert says that the support that she has received confirms that there is a great demand for the service, which London Buses are currently not providing. However she is keen to gauge support from local club/bar owners and restaurateurs for the service and will be contacting them in the near future.

Cllr Engert comments:

“I am delighted with the positive response I have received from many community groups. It is clear that a bus route would offer safe and cheap transport to bar, club and restaurant users as well as staff – many of who use the 102 bus.

“We are still at very early stage and I welcome any more views from the local community and businesses on the proposals for this night service.”

Haringey Council have acted to remove potentially hazardous metal from a public open space, following an urgent demand from local Lib Dem Councillor Matt Davies (Fortis Green).

Cllr Davies has raised the poor standard of paths in Midhurst Gardens (N2) over the last two years and some remedial work had already been carried out. However, despite repeated requests to remove the metal brackets which used to secure benches (now long since removed) and regenerate the greens there still remains work to be done.

Following the removal of the benches, twisted metal fixings remained and Cllr Davies was shocked to see one of these still sticking out of the concrete on a recent visit to the greens. He raised it with the Council and they have now rectified the oversight and removed the hazard.

Cllr Matt Davies (Fortis Green) comments:

“I am pleased that the Council has now made this hazard safe. There is still much work to be done to improve the quality of the paths through these greens and generally bring them up to standard.

“Public green spaces are limited and we need to make full use of the potential of all of them. I know that the Muswell Hill & Fortis Green Association has also been looking at this site and I am hoping that through the Making The Difference budget we might finally see some welcome improvements to the greens.”