The Clinic

About our clinic

We want to make your visit to clinic as simple as possible but we understand it can be difficult the first time you come. Here are a few questions people often have.

• Where is the Sexual Health clinic?

  Sexual Health clinic

  Orange Zone, St. Helens Hospital,

  Marshalls Cross Road, St. Helens,

  WA9 3DA

  Telephone Number: 01744 646473

  Once at the hospital, head to the lower ground floor and then to the orange zone. You can download a map here.

   

  Getting here: 
  By Bus:
  Bus Route: Mersey travel No 32 No 32a No 33 No35 & No17 available from St Helens Town Centre- drops off outside St Helens Hospital. 
  For more information contact Arriva on 0871 200 2233 or visit www.arriva.co.uk
  By Car: 
  A parking fee is payable. Please allow extra time for parking.
   

• Is the service free?

  Yes. This also includes any treatment or medication you may need.

• Is the service confidential? Will my information be kept private?

  Any information we record about you remains confidential. It can sometimes be useful to share some information with your GP, but we will not do this without your permission. We will ask you when you attend clinic whether you are happy for us to text you or send letters to your home address, or to your GP.

• I am under 16 years old; will you tell my parents?

  If you're aged 13 to 15 years old, you have the same rights to confidentiality as an adult. This means that we won't contact your parents/carers or anyone else without your permission.

   

  The only time we would tell somebody else what you had told us, is if we were seriously concerned about your safety or welfare, for example if:

  • You are under 18 and tell us someone has harmed you sexually, physically or emotionally
  • You are under the age of 13 and tell us that someone has had sex with you
  • You tell us that you (or someone else's) is at serious risk of harm

  If we do have to share your information, we will always discuss this with you first and explain why we need to do so.

• How do I book an appointment?

  You don't always need an appointment. We operate a walk-in service Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, including booked appointments from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. If you wish to book an appointment, please call us on 01744 646 473. 

• What questions will I be asked when I call the clinic?

  When you call or attend the clinic, we will need to ask some simple questions to register you as a patient. You will be asked:

  • Your name
  • Date of birth 
  • Sexual orientation (for example, straight or gay)
  • Gender (and if this is the same as it was at birth)
  • Ethnicity
  • If you have any disabilities 
  • Your contact details so any results can be given to you.  
  • What you would like to discuss

  A clinic number will then be allocated to you. This number (not your name) and your initials are used on any tests carried out.

• What do I need to do if I have been asked to attend clinic?

  Once at St. Helens hospital, head to the lower ground floor and then to the orange zone. You can download a map of the hospital here

• How do I book in for my appointment?

  When you reach the clinic, enter through the door and speak to a member of our reception team. They will note your arrival, and if you haven't already had a telephone appointment, they'll give you a short form on which to provide some details about the reason for your visit. 

   

  Our waiting area is outside of the clinic, but if you prefer not to wait there, you can request a buzzer. This will allow you to visit the shop within the hospital or the restaurant, and when it is time for your appointment, the buzzer will discretely vibrate allowing you to make your way to the clinic.

• What to expect at my appointment?

  What happens when I'm called in to see the nurse or doctor?

   

  A nurse, doctor or health advisor will show you into the clinic room to discuss the reason for your visit. They will need to ask you for some information about your sexual history, which includes:

  • the last time you had sex
  • was this with a regular or casual partner
  • was it with a man or woman
  • did you have vaginal/anal/oral sex
  • whether you used condoms / other method of contraception
  • if sex was consensual 

  You will also be asked about any symptoms you may have, your health history and any medications you are taking. Women and people who were assigned female at birth will be asked about their periods, cervical screening tests (often called a smear test) and pregnancies. They may also take your blood pressure and record your height and weight.

• Will I need to be examined?

  Depending on why you have come to see us, you may need to be examined. However, the nurse or doctor will discuss this with you and you will be asked if you would like a chaperone (this is usually another member of staff from our team).

• Can I bring friends or family with me?

  In most cases we are unable to allow friends and family to accompany you into your appointment. We ask that anyone that you are with waits outside of the clinic. In some circumstances a friend or family member may be allowed in. If this is the case, the nurse or doctor may wish to speak to you alone first, and then allow your friend or family member to come in.

• Can I just get condoms?

  Yes. We also have a free, online 'Condoms By Post' service. This is available to anybody aged over 16 years old and living in St Helens. Details can be found here.

• What if I'm worried about other health issues?

  We're not just interested in your sexual health, we're interested in anything that might be contributing to your current circumstances. If appropriate, we may ask to you about your personal and social circumstances, including lifestyle (this might include issues such as smoking, weight, alcohol and substance use, mental health, housing or finance). If necessary, we can point you in the direction of help and support.

• Can the GUM clinic help people with language difficulties?

  Yes, we can arrange to have an interpreter for your appointment. This will be arranged prior to your telephone appointment or clinic visit.

• Is the GUM clinic accessible for people with disabilities?

  Yes, if you have a disability or require adjustments to help you attend our clinic, please let us know when you call. We will make sure that you're supported throughout the visit.

• I need to cancel/change my appointment

  We understand that sometimes plans change and you may have to cancel or rearrange your appointment. If you no longer need your appointment or need to change the time and date, please let us know as soon as you can so that the appointment can be reallocated to someone else. You can do this by calling us on 01744 646473, or by completing the form below.

  Click here for the form

  We appreciate your support with this, as each missed appointment costs the NHS approximately £120.

  Whilst we highly value our patients’ confidentiality, sometimes people miss appointments that are vitally important for their health, or the health of people close to them. We will do our best to contact these people and invite them back to see us at a convenient time but If we can’t get hold of them and the issue is very important, we may write to their GP.

• How do I feedback about my experience with the Sexual Health clinic?

  Your feedback is important to us whether you have accessed the sexual health clinic, picked up condoms in one of our distribution points, or seen us at an event. If we’re doing something that you think works well, or a member of staff has provided an excellent service we’d love to know about it.

  But it’s equally important that you give us feedback when your experience hasn’t been as good as you had expected so that we can do something about it. Whatever your feedback there are different ways of letting us know:

  If you do have feedback for us, please complete one of our simple forms.

• Do I have to come to clinic to get a test?

  No. If you do not have symptoms you can order a chlamydia and gonorrhea test online by clicking here: Sexual Health St Helens | Chlamydia testing