"Teeside Together Sexual Health"

Teeside Together Sexual Health at the Live Well Center.

I recently needed to access the sexual health service in Middlesbrough and wanted to share my experience:

The website was difficult to navigate and didn’t provide clear triage information, guidance, or support materials to help me make an informed decision about whether I needed an appointment or walk-in. In fact the website didn’t provide anything other than the clinic address and times.

As someone with a full-time job, the walk-in hours being only during working hours made it very challenging to attend without rearranging work commitments.

I attempted to call for an appointment and waited 45 minutes on hold. When my call was answered, I was told there was no chance this week and advised to attend a walk-in session instead.

I rearranged my schedule to attend walk-in. I arrived as the clinic opened and was still 10th in line and waited almost 2 hours to see a clinician  

I understand services are under pressure, but the current system makes it very difficult to access timely care. Other parts of the country offer at-home testing kits, flexible walk-in times, and virtual triage. These approaches make it easier for people to get tested promptly and safely, while reducing pressure on clinics. 

I would strongly encourage Teesside Together to consider adopting similar measures including clearer online information, at-home testing options, and more flexible access to better meet the needs of the community and make sure we all stay tested and safe - I feel this current state of the service will have a bigger impact in the years to come.