Sexual Health Needs Assessment

Sexual Health Needs Assessment

A London PCT commissioned PHAST to carry out a comprehensive sexual health needs assessment to support PCT business decisions on future sexual health service planning, design, provision and implementation. The PCT requested the assessment to assist them in reviewing their current model of delivery and enable them to make informed strategic and operational decisions about how and where services are delivered in the future.

With sexual ill health costing the NHS more than £700 million a year, and the effect on individuals varying from mild infections to serious health conditions with long term consequences, it is understandable why improving sexual health has been one of the top six priorities for the NHS and is currently a national priority. PCT's have been encouraged to identify the core elements of providing sexual health services, including mapping need, examining demand, mapping service provision and then assessing the gaps between these factors.

The focus of the sexual health needs assessment was to provide practical information and recommendations to support the PCT's decisions for making changes to services. The sexual health needs assessment included: meetings with key informants; a detailed literature review; identification of current service provision; a review of epidemiological data including gap analysis; corporate needs assessments with specialist consultants accessing hard to reach groups; draft report submission for discussion; quality assurance and final submission of the report.