‘Sod Cutting’ Ceremony for New Purpose Built Accommodation for Gloucestershire Sexual Health Services and a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)
05/11/2007
Representatives from the NHS and Police will gather on Tuesday 6 November, 2007 (10am) for a special ‘sod cutting’ ceremony to celebrate a ground breaking project for Gloucestershire.
Construction will soon get underway on a brand new building on the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital site to house the Gloucestershire Sexual Health Services and a county Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC).
Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust and Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, together with Gloucestershire Constabulary and Gloucestershire Police Authority have been working on the plans for the new services.
This initiative will provide the local population with access to integrated sexual health services in a high quality environment. The new build will house the county’s specialist Sexual Health Services (contraception and pregnancy advice, HIV, and Genito Urinary Medicine).
Director of Public Health at Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, Dr Shona Arora said:
“This is a major step forward in service delivery. The new build will bring together all the specialist Sexual Health Services currently housed at Gloucestershire Royal and in nearby locations. It will support further development of a modern, efficient, integrated Sexual Health Service for the benefit of the local population.”
The building will also provide victims of sexual assault with the best possible access to police and health services on a single site.
It has been recognised for some time that victims of assault benefit from the way in which they are supported through the traumatic events following an assault. However, often the agencies involved in this support are spread out geographically, which can add to the trauma and distress.
The Government has recognised the positive contribution of SARCs (Sexual Assault Referral Centres) which house integrated services in one location and has witnessed increased confidence in the health and criminal justice systems as a result.
The Government is promoting the growth of SARCs in the UK and Gloucestershire will now benefit from the new facility which will offer improved services to the victims of crime and access to a wide range of sexual health services.
The SARC is intended to be a ‘one stop’ location where the victims of rape and sexual assault can access medical, counselling, advice and police services in a secure environment 24 hours a day. Partnership working between the health service, local voluntary organisations and the police will be a key part of this.
Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Chief Constable, Tim Brain said:
“Victims will be supported by improved and more sensitive co-ordination between these bodies and will receive professional care within the friendly, reassuring and caring environment of the SARC.”
“The project will also promote increased confidence so that victims are more likely to come forward and report crime. In this way, we hope to gain more intelligence on crimes such as rape and sexual assault within Gloucestershire and the adjoining regions and bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes.”
Director of Service Delivery at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Steve Peak said:
“We’re simply delighted to be part of a joint project to deliver this scheme, which will make a substantial difference to the delivery of sexual health services in Gloucestershire.”
Construction teams will move on to the site on November 12 and it is anticipated that the new building will be completed by the Autumn of 2008.
