To think this service is unacceptable?

[moralberyll]

My dd attended a large contraception and sexual health clinic today which previously offered a walk in service where you could sit and wait to be seen or book an appointment in advance, today she was told that it is now an appointment only system and the next available appointment isn't for another 2 weeks! Her gp won't prescribe contraception and just refers people to this clinic, so what are young people supposed to do? I thought we were supposed to be encouraging young people to take control of there sexual health and prevent teenage pregnancy? The rational thing to do would be to abstain or use condoms until an appointment becomes available but teenagers aren't always rational beings are they!

TheDowager I completely agree. Quite shocked by the attitude on here.

Why won't the GP prescribe it for her-how old is she?

Being asked to wait 2 weeks is hardly the beginning of arma-bloomin-geddon - how long would it take to get a doctors appointment anyhow (if the surgery did a pill clinic) - it is hardly a medical emergency.

In an ideal world she wouldn't have to wait. However in the real world she does - like everybody else - or she can make use of the free services already mentioned for an alternative type of contraception.

I am now a great aunt in part because of cuts to contraceptive services. Yes - the two young people involved should have taken more responsibility but they are now taking 18 years worth of responsibility so that is probably enough to be going along with.

The baby is lovely and adorable and we are all so glad they are here. The two young people are being really good parents. But the fact remains that they were not financially ready to be parents and so they will need support in the form of tax credits in order to be able to raise their child. And because the birth has interrupted studies that it will be difficult to go back to it is likely that they will need this for many years.

Just a couple of years later and they would have been in a much better position.

So much judgement about young women having sex.
Not all hormonal contraception is about birth control. Women (and girls) are loosing education and work time trying to control their own bodies. Massively unreported and ignored. 2 week wait, then a morning off school/college/work then waiting till the correct time to start the knock on is huge.
Anecdotal of course but the story of the girl who's appendix burst while she thought it was her normal period pain was desperate for a shag in a car park.

I think in our target culture we've got blade about anything hat isn't at crisis level.

Teen pregnancy in he uk is down and not the crisis it was when I was young. Instead of looking at what was done to make hat happen and continuing those services, the nhs and public health bodies are just saying phew we can stop nesting in that now it's sorted.
So stupidly short sighted.

Blazé not blade

Investing not nesting I swear my iPad predictive text is getting worse!

www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a13139589/contraception-crisis-delays-wait-government-cuts/

I have just spotted this article by chance and it seems that it is being recognised as a problem and my dd is not the only one who has been affected. It doesn't make financial sense to cut these services as this article points out that every one pound spent on contraception saves the NHS £11 in costs, so all those who said that the NHS doesn't have the money, well it is going to have to find a lot more money if they carry on cutting these services.

www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a13139589/contraception-crisis-delays-wait-government-cuts/

Im genuinely confused - aren't there condoms available in pharmacies and shops across the country? Used for contraception?

32 local authorities completely closed their contraception services in 2016/2017, this is outrageous, i have signed the petition.

What is she after, the pill or implanon/coil?

Can see why the GP is referring for the latter, but not for the pill.

Condoms are less reliable than the pill. It is also outrageous that a GP can refuse to prescribe the pill - they don't get to refuse any other kind of medical treatment on the grounds that their imaginary friend wouldn't like it.
If OP's DD is about to get her first prescription for the pill then it's fair enough they need to see her, discuss it with her, do some basic health checks etc, but if it's just a repeat prescription, surely they could do that over the phone or even by email.

You can buy a pack of 12 condoms in Poundland for ...... go on, have a guess...... yes, for the princely sum of ONE single POUND.

Problem solved

I agree with you beryll. The cuts are made to services to save money in the short term but ignore the knock on effects.
Hurray they've saved x hours of GP time in handing off routine contraceptive appointments to a secondary service. Tick that box on the cost savings target.
The secondary service can't cope and the rate of unintended pregnancy goes up and long term costs far more than the GP appointment.
Early intervention is a good thing.
Not all women and girls are able to say no to sex with their partner. At least give them an easy route to prevent pregnancy.

OnlyToday and if the man won't wear the condom?
It's not about cost.
It's about being in control of your fertility.

Op having experience of the types if services you mean and the presentation and history if some of the service users I totally get what you mean. If it isn't easy they will do without often due to extremely low self esteem/lack of education etc. I completely see your point.

Every chemist here gives free cindoms to teens.

I had similar issue last year. The clinic was always so busy that you had to get there a good half hour before it started and sit and hope you got in, they only prebooked a month ahead and they would never be any left. Session ran four til seven on a Tuesday. I sat there every week for three weeks and wasn’t seen. Wouldn’t give me free cindoms as they only for teenagers, all the pharmacists here give free ondoms but only for under 18s.

Was told could not book appointment with gp or nurse for the pill but that I can use any walk in family planning clinic in surrounding towns. Sadly all the ones within reach by bus were times I could not be there.

Some hospitals run family planning sessions too, have you checked if your dd can use other local family planning clinics?

I managed to get a pre bookable on week 3 of waiting and being turned away, app was for four weeks later so a seven week wait in total. I ended up Ill with bad throat and was given course of antibiotics, gp warned about contraceptive pill potentially failing and was genuinely shocked when I told him I’m I’d not been able to get a script for four weeks and still had another three to wait. He gave me my pill prescription and apologised, asking my next appointment with him for when they ran out at same time.

I'd find this really unacceptable. Fair enough on the two week wait for appointments, but all patients should have been informed beforehand and given enough notice to make an appointment without screwing up their contraception. And the change should have been advertised on their website if they have one, on the windows etc.

Coming off and on the pill isn't always easy or recommended either. I'm surprised people are acting like it's nothing. My hormones always went nuts when I stopped taking it, then nuts again when I started back up. I'd have been extremely pissed off if I had to go through that because no one could take a minute to write a prescription. Not to mention a lot of women take it for reasons other than contraception, some of them quite serious. I have friends who'd end up in hospital on morphine if they had to go through a period without the pill.

Dd finally managed to get an appointment that didn't mean she

Dd finally got a suitable appointment time that meant that she didn't have to miss 2+ hours of college due to having to take a trip into the city centre for the 13th of November.