CAWT Sexual Health Services/GUM Project

Marian MartinProject ManagerCAWTTelephone 02868628403

CAWT

Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) is a partnership between the Republic of Ireland’s Health Service Executive Dublin North East and West, and Northern Ireland’s Western and Southern Health and Social Care Trusts, the Health and Social Care Board and the Public Health Agency Northern Ireland

History of CAWT

The CAWT partnership was formally established by the signing of the Ballyconnell Agreement in 1992 and encompasses the border counties of Donegal, Derry/Londonderry, Sligo, Cavan, Leitrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Monaghan, Armagh and Louth

History of CAWT

Under INTERREG IIIA, CAWT managed funds in the region of 10.45m Euro/£6.74m for 37 cross border Health and Social Care projects and a further 7 projects to the value of 1.57m Euro/£1.08m under Peace II funds

These projects involved the co-operation of many statutory/voluntary and community stakeholders from the border region and brought significant benefits to the resident population (captured in The CAWT Story: 2003 and 2008)

The Aims of CAWT

CAWT’s aim is to improve the health and social well-being of the resident population of the border area, through practical cross border projects

How CAWT Delivers It’s Objectives

CAWT facilitates the partner organisations to work collaboratively in order to achieve the best possible health and social care outcomes for the population of the border area in Ireland

Pre-Existing Sexual Health/GUM Services

Prior to the CAWT project, services available to people in the NE and NW of Ireland for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were inadequate or non existent

Pre Project Situation

Many people had to travel to specialist clinics in Dublin, Derry/Londonderry, Belfast or Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry to access specialist GUM services

Funding for new Sexual Health/ GUM services

The Departments of Health in both jurisdictions in Ireland and the CAWT partner organisations have been successful in attracting EU INTERREG IVA funds for this project in order to deliver sexual health services in the border region

Project Management The project is managed in the following

way:- The project chairperson has overall

responsibility for the success of the project The project board has responsibility for

internal project assurance The project manager has overall

responsibility for the successful delivery of all the products developed during the life of the project

Project Management Methodology

The PRINCE 2 project management methodology is used as the planning, delivery and reporting mechanism for all project activity

New Services

The new STI services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals in a location which is convenient to the patient so far as is practical

The Multidisciplinary Team

The service is led by a specialist consultant physician and delivered by sessional doctors, nurses, secretarial / administrative staff and in some cases a sexual health promotion officer

Improving Access for Patients

In the North East of the 26 counties GUM services will be delivered at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, and are now being delivered at Louth County Hospital Dundalk, and Monaghan Hospital

Improving Access for Patients

In the North West of the 26 counties services are now delivered in Letterkenny General Hospital. This complements the pre-existing STI clinic which runs in Sligo General Hospital

Improving Access for Patients in Northern Ireland

The developments in the NE and NW regions of the 26 counties are complemented by additional services which are now provided at Altnagelvin Hospital Derry/Londonderry, as well as at Daisy Hill Hospital Newry and new STI services which are provided in the Omagh Hospital by a similar multidisciplinary team of staff

Sexual Health Services in SHSCT Additional sexual health clinics

commenced in Daisyhill Hospital Newry on 6th October 2009. The SHSCT contribution to the CAWT project officially ended on 31st December 2011. It was extremely successful. The additional staff member there funded through the project dealt with 1,271 new clients in the life of the project. The additional services in SHSCT are now mainstreamed

New Sexual Health Services in WHSCT

Clinics in Derry/Londonderry have increased from 6 per week to 12 (includes outreach clinics)

The additional clinics at Anderson House Altnagelvin Hospital have been running since 04/10/2010

An outreach clinic in Magee Campus UU commenced on 17/11/2010

A completely new clinic commenced in Tyrone County Hospital Omagh OPD on 17/11/10

The telephone number for appointments in WHSCT area is:- 02871 611269

As at end of March 2012 - 2,343 new pts have been seen in WHSCT as a result of the CAWT project

New Sexual Health Services in HSE West

A sexual health clinic started in Letterkenny General Hospital for the first time on 29th September 2011 and runs each Thursday evening from 5.30pm until 9.00pm.

The telephone number for getting appointments is:- 0749123715

As at the end of March 2012 - 193 new patients have been seen in Letterkenny

New Sexual Health Services in HSE DNE

The sexual health clinic in Monaghan hospital started on 6th December 2011 and runs each Tuesday morning from 9 am - 12.30

The clinic in Louth County hospital started on 17th February and runs each Friday afternoon from 1.30pm – 5pm and

The clinic in OLOL Drogheda will run on Friday mornings as soon as full staff are in post

The telephone number for appointments for the clinics in the HSE DNE region is:- 0868241847 As at the end of March 2012 – 98 new

patients have been seen in HSE DNE

What the Service Provides

FREE Rapid access to specialist diagnostic preventative treatment and counselling services for people with sexually

transmitted infections (STIs) Urgent advice to people who are pregnant who

have STIs Health promotion in relation to safer sexThese specialist services are delivered within the parameters of clinical

management guidelines

Confidentiality and Anonymity

Services for people with STIs are of a highly sensitive nature

All electronic and other records are subject to the Data Protection Act 1998 N I/2003 in RoI

All employees are subject to the policies and procedures relating to records management and confidentiality of their employing organisation

A coding system for personal identifiers is used

Patient Choice

Patients with STIs now have the choice to attend an STI clinic on either side of the border at a location convenient to them

As at the end of March 2012 a total of 3,905 new patients have been seen across the CAWT project sites

1,917 people have been trained by the sexual health promotion officer

Benefits

Patient Choice is enhanced through the establishment of more accessible clinics

The Investment in Prevention, Early Diagnosis and Treatment will provide not only significant health benefits for the indigenous population but also significant cost savings to the entire health service in both jurisdictions

Publicising the additional/new clinics

* CAWT Communications and publicity plan * Via CAWT Communications Group * Internal communication (memos, intranet etc) and

external publicity (press releases, radio interviews, posters etc)

* Officially launch of additional / new services * Collaborative, cross border approach to

publicity * Ensures EU publicity and information

requirements are met

Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT)

CAWT website - www.cawt.com