Long sex health waits revealed

The longest wait for callers in the West Midlands was 56 days

No sexual health clinic in the West Midlands can offer patients an appointment within 48 hours, a BBC survey has revealed.

BBC researchers contacted 22 clinics in the region with one caller being told to wait 56 days for an appointment.

By 2008 the government's goal is to have all patients seen within two days.

The Department of Health admits more needs to be done, and is investing £300m in the UK-wide problem over the next three years.

Dr Mia Huengsberg, a sexual health specialist, said: "It's dreadful. It (the wait) not only allows the infection to start giving rise to complications but it also increases the rate of spread."

'Instant test'

Panorama said its investigation revealed the scale of the sexually-transmitted infection (STI) epidemic in the UK, and showed a nation where sexual health is in rapid decline, due to big increases in the infection rates for some of the most common STIs.

One caller was told to ring at 0900 for an appointment the same day, if they were unsuccessful they should try the next day at the same time.

Another was told an appointment could be made but it was likely to be in eight weeks time.

Whittal Street Clinic, in Birmingham, has cut its waiting times to two weeks after taking on another conultant and is in the process of creating two new consulting rooms.

While the Brook Advisory Centre is trialling a new instant chlamydia test to try to reduce its waits.

Panorama's "Love Hurts" is broadcast on Sunday 16 October 2005 at 22:15BST on BBC One.

It is also available online at bbc.co.uk/panorama in broadband, live and on demand.