- Sexual health service for Salford now delivered by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust from 1 January 2024.
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust will take over from Bolton NHS Foundation Trust who previously delivered this service.
- Service will aim to tackle rising Sexually Transmitted Infection (STIs) levels in Salford
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) has taken over delivery of the sexual health service for Salford from 1 January. The service is now provided by the Northern Contraception, Sexual Health and HIV Service, managed by Manchester Royal Infirmary, and offers teenagers and adults of all ages with a dedicated and integrated provision, delivered by experienced sexual health professionals.
Support, advice and treatment is available via open access to confidential, person-centred, non-judgemental sexual health services. The service will continue to be delivered from Lance Burn Medical Centre in Pendleton and a range of satellite sites across the city. The service sees sexual health teams providing testing, treatment, support, advice and education through community clinics.
This newly delivered service begins following a previous contract between Salford City Council and Bolton Council, which saw sexual health services being delivered by Bolton NHS Foundation Trust until the end of 2023.
The change in provider follows feedback from users and in response to an increase in residents accessing the sexual health service. The requirements of the service have been redesigned and a tender process was completed in autumn 2023, with MFT being awarded the contract following a successful tender.
Councillor John Merry, Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health at Salford City Mayor said: “This is an essential service for so many across the city and we need to get this right. We’ll be working closely with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust to ensure that we are improving this service for our residents.
We know the city has sexual health issues that need to be urgently addressed and we’re in an unenviable position of having high levels of STIs. By creating this new service, we’ll seek to tackle the sexual health issues head on and our priority will be to provide the best service to those who need it.
I’m confident this new partnership will prove successful in getting people the right help and support they need and ultimately reducing the high levels of STIs in the city.”
Miss Toli Onon, Joint Group Medical Director at MFT said: ”Our sexual and reproductive health service is the largest and most experienced in Greater Manchester and it’s really positive to be able to extend this to Salford residents.
By bringing this service into MFT, we are now dedicated to providing people of Salford with supportive, confidential and high-quality accessible care, as we work in partnership to tackle complex health challenges in the community.
Building on our existing relationships with health and social care providers in Salford will allow us to reach those most at risk of sexual health related harm. We’re looking forward to working closely with Salford City Council to deliver a service that will help to reduce health inequalities identified across the region.’’
Dr Anna Garner, Consultant in Genitourinary Medicine at The Northern said: ‘We understand the challenges faced in the region regarding sexual health, and The Northern has been providing expert advice and treatment for the communities in which we serve since 2016.
I am confident that through access to our services we will be able to make a real impact in improving the quality of care for Salford residents.’
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust will continue to deliver Salford’s HIV treatment and care service.
How to get help
Visit the Salford Clinics part of the Manchester NHS Foundation Trust website The Northern website – https://thenorthernsexualhealth.co.uk/
MFT website – https://mft.nhs.uk/mri/services/956-2/
Salford Sexual Health clinic at the Lance Burn Centre number – Tel: 0161 206 1099