Sexual health clinics lack data on high-risk groups

Clinics for people with sexually transmitted infections are unable to treat patients properly because they don't have the right information, according to health watchdogs.

Gaps in data make it difficult for health workers to find and provide services for high-risk groups or to monitor levels of sexual health in England, said the Healthcare Commission. As a result, government moves to tackle a huge increase in sexually transmitted diseases may be failing to reach the right people.

Data is collected by local sources, such as Primary Care Trusts and genito-urinary clinics, and not centrally. This makes it difficult to monitor services nationally or to ascertain where the money is most needed.

Personal information essential for tracking progress, such as gender, address and ethnicity, is often missing. This makes it hard to target treatment and prevention strategies to the people who need them most.

The Government will struggle fully to implement its strategy for sexual health and HIVwithout accurate data. The Commission's head of public health, Jude Williams, said: "We know that sexual ill-health is a significant problem in England. It is vital that everyone involved in these services, from the Government to front-line staff, makes improving data collection, and using that data to deliver effective services, a top priority."

The known incidence of chlamydia, which increases the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility, increased by more than 300 per cent between 1996 and 2005. Rates of all STDs are up by 60 per cent over the same period. Teenage pregnancy rates are at their lowest for 20 years, but rates are four times higher in the poorest areas.

Accurate data on where patients live is particularly important if services are to target high-risk groups and track developments.

By Nina Lakhani