Taunton GUM Clinic expands

2nd February 2008
by Ian Fielding

The Genito Urinary Medicine Clinic in Taunton has benefited from an extension to the unit which has recently been opened at their base in the town's Musgrove Park Hospital.The ceremony at the clinic, which performed 3,000 checks last, was performed by Taunton MP Jeremy Browne.

"The new extension provides more rooms for patients and staff. This has allowed us to run a greater number of clinics every week, and reduce the time people have to wait to be seen here" Team leader Alison Collins told the Somerset County Gazette, "This is extremely important as the sooner a patient is seen and treated the better for them, and the less likely it is that they will pass the infection onto someone else."

All patients at the clinic are seen within 48 hours of making an appointment, a target met in only 15% of the cases 18 months ago. The number of patients has double in the past five years and more than 100 people with HIV attend, 19 of them new cases in 2007.

Local MP Mr Browne said "It was very interesting to be able to spend time with the GUM team and understand the job they do for the community. They are one of the services that often gets forgotten about but the work they do is crucial."

The clinic can be contacted on 01823 344888.