People are being hospitalised for sexual health conditions that are easily treatable in local clinics, experts have warned, with some council budgets being cut by up to two-thirds over 10 years.
A Guardian analysis of English council spending on sexual health services found national cuts of more than a third since 2013, despite a rise in consultations for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). English councils spent £9.58 a head on sexual health services – including STI testing and treatment, contraception, and advice – in 2022-23, compared with £14.41 in 2013-14, after taking inflation into account.
