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For patients concerned or worried about MPox, please consider the following information before you attend our sexual health clinic.

It is very important if you think you have MPox or have been a sexual contact of someone with MPox, or someone who has returned from Africa within the last 3 weeks that you telephone the clinic before attending for an appointment.

If you have visited Africa in the last three weeks please inform staff which countries you have visited so they can see whether it is linked to a country reporting laboratory-confirmed Clade I Mpox.

Clinical Symptoms of MPox

Have you got one or more of the following symptoms:

– rash or blisters (lesions) on any part of your body

– fever

– new lump/s in neck, groin or under your arm

If any if the above applies to you – call the clinic before attending. If a clinician is not available to speak with you immediately, one will call you back as soon as possible. During the telephone triage call back, the clinician will ask you about your recent travel and sexual history. If you have any spots, rash or lesions, they may also request you take a picture of these on your mobile phone and email to the clinic for assessment. 

If you suspect you have MPox, please isolate at home until our team make contact with you. Please cover any spots, rash or lesions if you share accommodation with other people, and try to stay in a room away from others on your own. 

If after telephone triage you are suspected to have symptoms or a significant exposure risk to MPox, you will be advised about the additional precautions we may have to take if you are invited for a clinic appointment. This may include being given an allocated time to attend and asked to call from outside the clinic to tell us you have arrived, where a staff member in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will greet you and show you through to an assessment room. You may be asked to wear a face mask (we will supply) before entering the building.

For additional information on MPox, please see https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mpox/

Currently we do not have vaccination in stock to provide to patients. The Government is sourcing vaccine and will roll out to sexual health clinics in the coming weeks, so please keep an eye on our website for further announcements.

“Sexual Health services in Herefordshire are safe and well-led”.

Solutions 4 Health, the sexual health services provider for Herefordshire, is thrilled to announce that it has achieved a remarkable improvement in its rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Following a recent re-inspection, the service has been awarded a ‘Good Overall’ rating, marking a significant step forward from the previous ‘Requires Improvement’ assessment in April 2022.

The CQC, an independent regulator of health and social care services in England, undertook a comprehensive evaluation of Solutions 4 Health’s sexual health service in Herefordshire. The examination involved a meticulous assessment of various factors, including safety, effectiveness, risks, and leadership.

During the re-inspection, the CQC observed remarkable progress in the re-inspection areas, acknowledging Solutions 4 Health’s unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred care. The improved rating is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and continuous efforts of the entire team.

Julia Wales, Head of Strategic Partnerships, at Solutions 4 Health said:

“We are absolutely thrilled with the CQC’s recognition of our efforts. This ‘Good Overall’ rating reflects the tireless work and passion of our staff who consistently strive to provide outstanding sexual health services to our community.”

The re-inspection highlighted numerous areas where Solutions 4 Health demonstrated good performance and improvement, including:

• Safety Measures: The organisation exhibited robust safety protocols and implemented rigorous medicine storage measures to ensure the safety of both patients and staff.
• Leadership Excellence: The exceptional leadership team at Solutions 4 Health played a vital role in driving the services success, fostering a culture of care and continuous improvement, empowering staff to deliver outstanding care.

Looking ahead, Solutions 4 Health remains committed to further enhancing its sexual health services and building upon its achievements. By maintaining a patient-centred approach, investing in staff development, and embracing innovative solutions, the organisation aims to set new standards of excellence in sexual health care provision.

Full reports for the inspection, when complete, will be published on the CQC website. 

As we are nearing the end of the Mpox vaccination programme, we are seeing an increase in eligible members of the public seeking the opportunity to get a vaccination; possibly due to the summer travel and events season (including Pride).

It is a useful time to take the opportunity to get vaccinated before the end of the campaign and to give the best protection to as many people as possible in the event of any summer uptick in cases.

To get Mpox vaccination people will need to have had their 1st dose by 16 June 2023 and their 2nd dose (completed your vaccination course) by 31 July 2023.

Sexual Health Services 4 Herefordshire have a limited supply and in line with national guidance, are prioritising those most at risk. People most at risk will be contacted by the clinic to book in for vaccination.

Please wait to be invited.

We are setting up more clinics in the coming weeks. If you are a contact of monkeypox and have been told by UKHSA that you need a vaccination then please contact the clinic on 01432 483693.

Due to the potential risk of Monkey Pox transmission we are currently suspending any walk-in clinic services.

We are continuing to triage and assess patients via telephone triage clinics.

If you have symptoms that you think may be Monkey Pox or you have been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of Monkey Pox then please ring 111 or visit Monkeypox – NHS (www.nhs.uk) for further information.

Our clinic and reception team may ask you additional questions during your triage to understand your risk of contact with Monkey Pox. Please note that all triage is confidential and is carried out to ensure you get the best care in a timely manner.

Note our August 2022 update regarding monkey pox vaccinations here.

National HIV Testing Week is a campaign to promote regular testing among the most-affected population groups in England. Regular testing helps to reduce the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV and those diagnosed late.

This year, the campaign returns with the successful creative ‘Give HIV the finger: a finger-prick test is all it takes’.

The campaign will encourage people to test for HIV at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of people diagnosed with HIV is falling, but there is still work to do:

• 1 in 16 people with HIV are unaware they have it and spend an average of three to five years not knowing, increasing the risk of passing HIV on to sexual partners.
• Late diagnosis rates are still stubbornly high – 42% of people were diagnosed late in 2019. This correlates to poorer long-term health outcomes and leads to an eightfold increased risk of death.
• Clinical reviews show many could have been diagnosed sooner

Your free home testing kit can be ordered at https://freetesting.hiv/