Jersey hires first full-time sexual health consultant

The sexual health clinic at Jersey General Hospital started same-day appointments last year

Jersey has appointed its first full-time consultant in sexual health, HIV and viral hepatitis.

Dr Rajesh Hembrom will lead the island's sexual health team and develop an integrated service said the Government of Jersey.

He has 16 years experience in sexual health and blood-borne viruses.

Dr Adrian Noon, chief of service for medicine, said he was delighted Dr Hembrom was joining the team.

Dr Hembrom, who moves from Kent Community Health NHS Trust, said: "I'm really excited to be joining and leading Jersey's sexual health team and I'm looking forward to helping to develop Jersey's own integrated sexual health service to ensure very high standards of care."

Since autumn 2022, residents have been able to book free same-day confidential sexual health checks.

Before that, people without symptoms would wait up to five weeks for a sexually transmitted infections screening, but now they are usually seen within a week, the government said.

Dr Hembrom has also been involved in education, training and research in sexual health and has held various leadership roles in the NHS.

He was the former chair of the south-east England branch of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV.

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