| Your
Questions and Feedback |
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| Got
a question? Check out these frequently asked questions
for your answer or call the clinic on 020 8967 5555.
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| Will
I be seen if I come to the clinic? How long will
it take? |
| Set
aside a couple of hours for your first visit so
that we can be as comprehensive as possible. If
you are attending for treatments or results you
can cut down your waiting time by telling the receptionist
who you are here to see or why you are here, and
by bringing your clinic number. It may appear that
other people are being seen before you but they
may be attending for a different reason and are
probably not in the same queue as you. Please be
patient. If you are turned away because the clinic
is full but you feel you have a problem that cannot
wait, ask to see a nurse or a health advisor to
be triaged - they will decide whether to treat you
on the day or refer you to another clinic. If you
have a contact slip, present it to the reception
to ensure being seen. |
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| How
do I get my results? |
| You
can collect your results in a variety of ways. We
have a 'no news is good news' policy, so if you
haven't heard from us within 14 days you can assume
your results are clear. To hear a confirmation of
your results, ring on a Tuesday between 9am-12pm.
You will be asked for your clinic number so have
it to hand - if you have forgotten it or the date
of birth you gave we will not give you your results
via telephone. You will not be able to collect results
for anyone else even if they have asked you to.
If you want someone else to collect your results
tell the doctor on your first visit and sign consent
for a named person to collect your results. You
can also attend clinic to collect your results,
by letting the receptionist know you are here for
results only. HIV results are usually collected
in person after 3:30pm on the next clinic after
the test e.g. if the test was on Thursday, results
can be collected after 3:30pm Monday. All other
results take two weeks. You must leave accurate
contact details or we are not responsible for informing
you of any positive results. |
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| Does
this go on my medical records? |
| The
clinic offers a confidential service. You don't
even need to use your own name (but it makes it
much easier if you do). Your results and tests have
your clinic number on, so even the people in the
lab won't know who you are. In general your GP will
not be informed of your visit unless we have no
other way of contacting you. |
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| Do
I have to tell my partner? |
| You
don't need to tell anybody you have attended but
you must be aware that if a result comes back positive
it is important we get your partner(s) treated.
If we treat you and your partner is not treated
and you have sexual contact again (including oral
sex) it is likely that you will become re-infected.
The health advisor can help you with the choices
you have in doing this. |
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| Will
it hurt? |
| Don't
worry, male testing takes just minutes and at the
most you will only feel slight discomfort (the umbrella
test does not exist). Female tests take a little
longer but women will also only feel slight discomfort.
The nurses taking the tests are highly skilled and
will reassure you if you are nervous or uncomfortable.
If you are frightened of needles let the nurse know
- we have tiny needles we can use and a bed you
can lie down on if you feel faint. |
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| Can
I have my smear test done at the same time? |
| In
general your GP is the place to go for smear testing
and a GUM clinic for testing of STIs. Smear testing
and sexually transmitted infection swabs are two
different things and we do not routinely do smears
here due to the confidential nature of our testing.
If a smear is clinically indicated we will advise
you to see your GP. |
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| If
I have an infection can I get treatment for my partner? |
| We
cannot give you medication to give to your partner.
Your partner will need to attend and be tested to
ensure there are no other infections present. It
is dangerous to give a person any medication that
has not been prescribed for them personally. |
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| What
is a sexual health advisor? |
| A
sexual health advisor helps with anything related
to your sexual health; advice on safer sex, infections
and their transmission, psychological care for problems
such as premature ejaculation and sexual addiction.
We help with partner notification (telling your
partner), access to other services which help with
counselling and issues such as violence, drug and
alcohol use. We also offer HIV testing and will
discuss the test, implications and what a positive
result means. We will also be the people who call
to inform you of any positive results for tested
infections and discuss treatment with you. The health
advisors offer you support as an individual with
individual needs. We make no judgment on life-style
and work with you to get the best results for you
personally. |
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| Will
people know why I'm here? |
| People
will not be able to know why you are here by looking
at you but most people are here for the same reason.
We run a variety of clinics at level 8 so you will
not be judged just by coming into level 8 north. |
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| Do
I need to pay? |
| GUM
services are free throughout the country to everybody.
That includes our testing services. Occasionally
a charge of £30 is made for admin costs if
you require a certificate of results for travel,
work or IVF purposes. Certificates of results will
only be given for these purposes and must be requested
on the initial visit. |
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the webmaster
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IMPORTANT: you
will NOT receive a reply! The email is only
for comments about the website - it will not be
read by the clinic. If you have a question you can
contact the clinic on 020 8967 5555. |
