North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) has been awarded the contract to deliver modern, integrated sexual health services across the county of Cumbria for the next six years.

Westmorland and Furness Council and Cumberland Council have joined forces to commission a single provider for Cumbria.

NCIC already provides sexual health services across the county; however, the new look service will be transformed to meet the evolving sexual health needs of the population. It reflects the three big shifts included in the NHS Ten Year Plan published last year.

The service will be providing a new digital platform that will speed up and improve access to services and reduce some of the traditional barriers that people encounter when accessing sexual health clinics. 

In moving from sickness to prevention, the primary focus will be on the following five key public health outcomes:

  • Detecting chlamydia earlier
  • Reducing underage pregnancies
  • Reducing new transmissions of HIV and sexually transmitted infections
  • Prescribing long-acting contraception
  • Diagnosing people living with HIV at an earlier stage

Also, in line with the move from hospital to community, work is underway to review the estate required, given the increased focus on online services and ensuring these are co-located with other community services.  As part of this, the base in Carlisle will move from its current location at Hilltop Heights to the Civic Centre in the near future.

Prof Matt Phillips said, “We are delighted to have been awarded the contract - a testament to the excellent service our teams already provide.  During the year, our service will start to look very different so that we can be at the forefront of the evolving needs of the population.

“Our existing teams have re-imagined how our service will work to meet the needs of our population, so we will be making some radical changes to how the service is delivered.  This will include where our existing clinics are based and putting more support into our online offer and points of testing, which offer patients speed, confidence and privacy in accessing the services they need.”  

Cllr Patricia Bell, Westmorland & Furness Council, Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Public Health said: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with NCIC and Cumberland Council to deliver a joined-up sexual health service for people across the county. This new contract puts prevention and accessibility at the heart of sexual health, helping residents get the right support more easily - whether online or in their community.”

Cllr Justin McDermott, Portfolio holder for Public Health and Communities for Cumberland Council said, “We’re pleased to continue working with NCIC and Westmorland and Furness Council to deliver a high-quality, accessible sexual health service for everyone in Cumbria,  This new approach will help residents access the right support quickly and confidentially - whether online or in person. Ensuring sexual health services are as accessible as possible is a key priority for this service, and that’s why I am delighted to see the upcoming transformation of the online offer and to support the relocation of the sexual health clinic in Carlisle to a more central and accessible location.”

To find out more about sexual health services provided by the Trust, please visit our website.