Connecting withSexual Health

The Nursing in Practice Sexual Health Award 2008
– sponsored by Alere

Leading HIV education and prevention programme recognised with national award

Newcastle Community HIV Fastest Service took home the Sexual Health/Alere Award at the 2008 Nursing in Practice Awards (see www.nursinginpractice.com/awards).

The aims of the Newcastle HIV Fastest Service are to target men who have sex with men as an at-risk population, reduce levels of undiagnosed HIV, and remove the barriers to HIV testing, such as waiting times, thus improving access and establish a fast-tracking referral pathway for those testing positive into HIV services.

This service is about giving clients increased choice through access and speed; it is useful for those clients who are needle-phobic. In the future, it may also lead to more use of rapid/point of care testing in different environments. The goal of the service is to get more index patients with HIV infection diagnosed earlier and fast-tracked into treatment and care services. This may then lead to less onward transmission of HIV.

At the end of the one-year pilot (April 2008), 151 people attended the HIV fastest service and tested negative for HIV, and five people have had positive HIV tests with referral into the genitourinary medicine (GUM) service.

The Nursing in Practice Awards were launched to recognise best practice in a range of clinical areas. The Awards featured ten categories in total.*

Individual nurses and teams across the UK submitted written accounts of their projects, which were then shortlisted by panels of expert judges.

The Sexual Health Award sponsored by Alere

The rise in the incidence of STIs requires sexual health practitioners to look at alternative options for the provision of STI screening services. Rapid point of care testing offers greater flexibility, improved turnaround times, and provides opportunities for improved patient access to testing.

Alere is a global leader in rapid diagnostic products with many trusted brands such as Clearview and Determine.

Alere offer simple, reliable and accurate tests for HIV 1/2, chlamydia, syphilis and bacterial vaginosis. In addition, we offer tools and services to ensure the professional implementation of diagnostic testing through comprehensive training, education and quality control.

Appropriate diagnostic testing is central to health management. It enables more effective patient-centred care, with better health outcomes and lower healthcare costs. Alere works together with care providers to achieve these aims, and we recognise nursing excellence and innovation in the field of sexual health through the sponsorship of this award.

About Nursing in Practice and Campden Media Ltd

Nursing in Practice (http://www.nursinginpractice.com) is a bimonthly review journal produced by Campden Publishing that delivers accessible, relevant and informed news, indepth articles and comment on modern nursing practice in primary care. It is part of a family of products and services including events, exhibitions, online content and recruitment. All these products are specifically designed for practice nurses and other primary care specialists working across the UK and aim to promote best practice and thus improve patient care. 

nursinginpractice.com is a free online service designed to complement the Nursing in Practice journal. Visitors to the site can get daily news online or delivered direct to their inbox by email each week. In addition to news, there is also a complete archive of all past issues of Nursing in Practice, regular online comment, a weekly quiz and many other features, including video presentations from our latest live events.