Team helping London's 'most vulnerable people' wins top award

Staff helping vulnerable people to get sexual health advice and avoid unplanned pregnancies has received a prestigious national award.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ reproductive and sexual health and blood borne virus teams won the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists David Bromham Annual Memorial Award in its first year of running its clinic.

Lanre Fatuga, Head of Service for Early Intervention and Specialist Services, says: “We are proud to be recognised for the work we are doing with some of London’s most vulnerable people.

“Our staff support patients, who all have drug and or alcohol problems and are often homeless, to get the sexual health advice they need.

“We help patients make informed decisions about the right time for them to have a baby, for example when they are fully recovered and healthy.

“In this way we hope to reduce the number of babies born with drug and alcohol-related conditions and the number of children who are eventually placed in care.”

The team, which includes sexual health consultant Dr Rudi Pittrof and specialist nurse Stephanie Broughton, offers a range of services including treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), contraceptive treatment and cervical smear tests.

Southwark and Lambeth have the third and fourth highest rates of STIs in the UK. The boroughs also have the highest rates of HIV in England with 14 people in every 1,000 in Lambeth and 12 in every 1,000 in Southwark living with HIV. 

The award is given for work which ‘through inspiration, innovation or energy has furthered the practice of sexual and reproductive healthcare’.