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Information for Professionals

Although we are an "open access" service (i.e. patients can self‑refer) we welcome written referrals from primary care for more complex presentations.

Please send all referrals to us at:

Bristol Sexual Health Service

Central Clinic

Tower Hill BS2 0JD

We will then send patients appointments to an appropriate clinic and venue (we have specialist contraception sessions at various sites)

Specialist provision

Difficult IUD fittings e.g. previous attempts not successful and/or painful- we can offer local anaesthesia

Difficult IUD removals e.g. where IUD threads are lost please indicate if a scan has confirmed the IUD is still in-situ

Difficult Implant removals e.g. if you cannot feel the implant or if you have tried unsuccessfully to remove it

Other specialist clinics at Bristol Sexual Health Centre include herpes clinic, chronic pelvic pain clinics for men and women and psychosexual services

Women seeking abortion can also self-refer [link to Pregnancy Advice page /sexual-health/abortion-care ] but if there are complex medical and/or social factors please phone on their behalf to make an appointment and where possible provide a letter with details (including the date of the appointment made).Please fax this to us.

Additional information on IUS & Implant fitting

In 2011/12, the commissioning arrangements for fitting the IUS and Implant in our clinics, specifies that we can only fit these methods in certain situations, as below:

  • There has been a direct referral from a GP for specific contraception advice and fitting of long acting reversible contraception
  • Where a GP can't remove an Implant, BSHS staff will remove and replace if a further implant is required.
  • IUD/IUS removal and replacement is outside scope of GP
  • Medical complexity of an individual requiring LARC which is outside GP expertise and requires specialist Sexual Health advice/treatment; such as long term medical conditions
  • Any young person Under 18 attending the clinic
  • [..] where there is no alternative form of contraception in place at the time of presentation. (Excluding the use of condoms).

Bristol, South Glos & N Som PCTs have provided BSHS with lists of GP practices that fit the IUS and those that fit the implant. Patients of these listed practices who do not meet any of the criteria above, will be referred back to their GP for fitting of an IUS or implant.

We will be traiging patients who phone us asking to make appointments for fitting of any IUS or Implant and again patients of the listed practices who do not meet any of the criteria above (that can be ascertained), will be advised to contact their GP for an appointment.

Tel:   (0117) 342 6900 (appointments)

         (0117) 342 6933 (administration)

         (0117) 342 6969 (advice to health professionals)

Fax number:

          (0117) 925 3400

Useful links for national guidance

The following websites provide open-access guidelines that may be useful

Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) www.fsrh.org

British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) www.bashh.org