An NHS Trust taking over sexual health services in Merton, Wandsworth and Richmond has spoken out over claims its plans are 'unsafe'.

The Guardian reported last week, August 16, that senior doctors from St George's Hospital NHS Trust said the takeover by Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust will leave sexual health services “unsafe, unworkable and unsustainable”.

Dr Paul Lister, a sexual health consultant who was head of the St George’s service until he retired in June, told Wimbledon Guardian: "The size of the service is reducing by 50 per cent and the staff by 30 per cent.

"We have victims of child sexual exploitation and we have health advisors we refer them too who are like counsellors and the number of these is being reduced from seven to two.

"The main centre, which has been based at the Courtyard Centre in Tooting is being replaced by a split hub in Balham Health Centre and at Queen Mary.

"At Balham, this will mean sexual health service patients will be in the same waiting room as people waiting for the GP surgery. This has never happened before - people want to come to the services confidentially.

"The government is saving money on sexual health, but its the patients and the residents who are going to lose out."

CLCH say the service is different, but will deliver a "high quality service" that is in line with a new approach to sexual health across the capital.

St George's Hospital in Tooting was the main provider of sexual health services across the three boroughs.

A spokesperson for St George's said: "From 1 October, we will no longer be providing sexual health services at St George’s. Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust are the new provider of sexual health services, which are commissioned by Wandsworth Council.

"Between now and October, we are supporting those staff affected by the transfer of services. We are also working with Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust and Wandsworth Council to ensure a smooth transition of services for the benefit of patients.”

Louise Ashley, chief nurse at CLCH NHS Trust, said: "The service we have been commissioned to deliver is different from the current one and will mean changes for sexual health staff. We are working hard to support staff through these changes.

"We are confident that we will deliver a high quality service in line with the new London-wide approach to sexual health services.

"Residents in Wandsworth, Merton and Richmond will be able to get help from a range of locations six days a week; with on-line booking and self-service check-in that offers convenience and confidentiality.

"We already provide a similar sexual health service in Hertfordshire which is safe, accessible and valued by patients. We are confident the same will be true in the new model across Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth."

Earlier this month, the Local Government Association said that sexual health services are at a tipping point, as although demand has increased by a quarter in the past five years, the Government has cut councils’ public health budgets by £531 million.

A spokesperson for Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, said: "Issues have been raised by the staff team directly affected by the move to a new service model and we are working with them to address their individual concerns. 

"The new approach is part of the London Sexual Health Transformation Programme and is being adopted across 29 London boroughs as part of a coordinated city-wide response to today’s sexual health challenges.

"The service model is endorsed by a clinical advisory group including consultants in both genito-urinary medicine and sexual and reproductive health, with direct involvement from representatives of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, the Society of Sexual Health Advisers and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health.

"The improved service model brings together contraceptive and genito-urinary medicine into an integrated sexual health service, and supports the move towards self-managed testing for sexually transmitted infections for people who are asymptomatic, organised through on-line services, which are both cost-effective and well-received by service users.

"We will of course be monitoring the performance of the new contract closely when it comes into operation to ensure that residents continue to have access to high quality sexual health services in south west London."