St John's GP surgery opens PrEP clinic in UK first
St John's Medical Centre has started a weekly clinic offering HIV prevention medicine to anyone who lives in Lewisham. This is the first time that a full PrEP service has been offered from a GP in the UK, and Lewisham council hope that it will widen access.
HIV prevention medication - widely known as PrEP - became available on the NHS in England in March 2020, but has previously only been offered from sexual health clinics.
Lewisham's one-year trial offering PrEP from a GP medical centre aims to increase the take up of PrEP by communities that are currently underserved.
The council hopes the service will reach residents who "may be uncomfortable using a sexual health clinic, unaware of PrEP, or feel there is a stigma around HIV".
PrEP is prescribed to HIV-negative people who may be at risk of HIV through sex or intravenous drug use. It is extremely effective at preventing transmissions.
Katie Clark, spokesperson from Terence Higgins Trust said: "It’s brilliant to see Lewisham trialling a new setting for prescribing PrEP.
For too long, this game-changing medication has only been available through sexual health services and too many people are missing out."
Dr Tony O'Sullivan is a retired paediatrician and was director of Children and Young People's services at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
He welcomed the trial of the new service, but pointed to the continuing importance of community sexual health clinics:
"I hope the new service links with Lewisham's community sexual health services to encourage users, including women in high risk situations, to access the range of reproductive, contraceptive advice and sexual health services, additional to PrEP, offered by the expert sexual and reproductive health (SRH) team."
Sexual health clinics are paid for under council budgets and as government funding to councils was slashed during the 2010s, many sexual health clinics closed or reduced their hours.
Lewisham council confirmed that no specialist sexual health clinics in the borough have closed since 2014, but that outreach services from Sydenham Green stopped in 2018 and those at Downham stopped in 2022.
"Before the years of austerity that undermined the NHS and public health services, the Lewisham SRH service was amongst the very best in England, with very high face to face engagement with young people," O'Sullivan said.
"A highly confidential service allowed young people to attend a walk-in community clinic, and in a locality away from their own community and GP surgery with anonymity if requested."
O'Sullivan, who is part of Lewisham Save our NHS and a co-chair of Keep our NHS Public, noted that the government's new 10-year plan for the NHS emphasises the importance of community-based services.
He warned: "But this is not new and if it is to mean anything, it is not a cheap option: it will need new funding to repair the damage done by 15 years of austerity and to expand the skilled, well-trained multi-disciplinary teams."
The PrEP trial is funded by the council and will run for one year, after which the results will be evaluated.
Cllr Paul Bell, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “We’re proud to be delivering this innovative service that will not only help reduce the transmission of HIV but also help tackle health inequality in the borough.”
The PrEP clinic is open every Tuesday from 9am - 12pm at St John's medical centre, 56 - 60 Loampit Hill, SE13 7SX
To make an appointment, visit the website or call: 020 8692 1354.
