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Website Shortlisted for BMJ Improving Health Awards

  • Whittall Street Clinic is featured in Channel 4's new programme ‘The Sex Clinic’, starts 10pm Thursday 11th April.

  • New Rapid HIV Testing clinic at St Martin’s in the Bullring

    Now open every Tuesday 11.00am - 3.15pm - no appointment needed.

    The clinic is located upstairs in the St Martin’s Centre for Health & Healing next to the Church in the Bullring. Entrance to the clinic is via St Martin’s church shop.

Whittall Street Clinic Statistics

Facts about us

Whittall Street Clinic is one of the busiest GUM/ Sexual Health Clinics in the UK. We offer a free and confidential service to anyone seven days a week. GP's referral is not required. Our services are completely free of charge (including the treatment of sexually transmitted infections). We also offer free and confidential translation service for those who need an interpreter.

How many patients attend our clinics?

  • More than 41,000 patients attended our clinics in 2011.

How many episodes of sexually transmitted infections have we diagnosed?

  • Chlamydia: We diagnosed more than 2,800 episodes of chlamydia in 2011
  • Gonorrhoea: We diagnosed more than 700 episodes of gonorrhoea in 2011
  • HIV: We diagnosed more than 130 new patients with HIV infection
  • Syphilis: We diagnosed more than 493 episodes of syphilis in 2011
  • Trichomonas vaginalis: We diagnosed more than 720 episodes of trichomonas in 2011
  • Chronic Hepatitis B infection: We diagnosed more than 130 patients with chronic hepatitis B in 2011

Academic report

Whittall Street Clinic is a main national centre for studies on sexually transmitted infection. We have a long track record on research. The research team is based at the Whittall Street Clinic and comprises:

  • 7 NHS consultant medical staff
  • 6 medical trainees
  • 1 research co-ordinator
  • 1 research nurse
  • 1 research assistant
  • 1 BCU reader

We have worked with a variety of partners over the past year including University of Birmingham, Coventry University, Picker Institute Europe, Health Protection Agency, Sexually Transmitted Infections Research Foundation, Medical Research Council and Cepheid Diagnostics. The following study projects were carried out at Whittall Street Clinic last year.

  1. A validated survey tool to measure patient derived outcome measures in HIV patients has been developed and piloted.
  2. A cross over study to evaluate a routine recall and retesting strategy for patients infected with gonorrhoea is nearing completion to establish whether this approach is feasible, effective and acceptable. Initial results suggest a modest but significant increase in retesting rates and increased diagnoses of gonorrhoea using the recall approach.
  3. The use of nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) for Trichomonas vaginalis was investigated in over 2000 patients and indicate a higher detection rate using the new test. However, the increased yield is small compared to previous tests and the cost is high suggesting that targeted use of the new test will be the most appropriate approach. Further analysis of the data will inform the most cost-effective testing strategy.
  4. A sensitive point-of-care test for chlamydia is being developed in partnership with ATLAS diagnostics and the Health Protection Agency.
  5. The sensitivity and specificity of a further point-of-care test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea from Cepheid Diagnostics is also being evaluated.
  6. A survey to identify persons attending a GU clinic who may be at risk of health problems related to alcohol and determine their optimal referral pathway has been completed and is being analysed.
  7. The sensitivity and specificity of T-SPOT TB test in a HIV positive population with a history of treated Mycobacteria tuberculosis infection has been assessed, presented as a conference abstract and is currently being prepared for publication.
  8. Assessment of chlamydia and gonorrhoea contamination of clinic surfaces and its implications for patient test accuracy. This work has been presented at conference and is currently being submitted for publication.
  9. The most acceptable approach for calling patients from the sexual health clinic waiting area into the consultation room is being evaluated.
  10. The most common diagnoses predictive of HIV infection in primary care setting.