British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH)

Background

The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) is a registered charity representing those who have a commitment to sexual health provision, and has been raising awareness of sexual transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV for many years. The services that BASHH members provide, particularly in Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinics, have come under increasing pressure and financial constraints, in spite of achieving greater awareness and support for the prevention of STIs and HIV.  BASHH therefore needed to focus their communications on the gaps in service provision and demonstrate how the reduction in funding to frontline services is affecting the rates of STIs and HIV.

Activities

M&F worked with BASHH to prepare briefing material for the political constituency, approach influential politicians and key opinion leaders, and draft press releases in response to government statements and stakeholder research to further raise the issue of increases in preventable STIs. We helped to position BASHH as the voice of the sexual health debate; ensuring BASHH members were fully trained on handling media enquiries and briefings with key policy influencers. To date BASHH has secured a number of forums to express their position, including a 1:1 briefing meeting with the Public Health Minister, meetings with Shadow Ministers, and appearances on Sky News and the BBC Six O’Clock News.

Impact

Meeting the Minister for Public Health ensured that the experience of frontline clinicians was clearly heard in terms of the realties of implementing policy and the impact of the reallocation of funding by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). Communications between BASHH and the Shadow Ministers for Health ensured that sexual health is firmly embedded in the development of both Conservative and Liberal Democrat Party Health Policies. Furthermore, BASHH have secured sexual health on the political agenda contributing to political debates on the floor of both Houses of Parliament and raised their profile further through appearances on radio and television broadcast.

What BASHH say about M&F

Quote from Dr Simon Barton, President of BASHH

As a newly formed charity, the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) wanted to establish clear a policy on communication and ensure its professional identity in the field of Sexual Health and HIV medicine.  The expertise and guidance of Munro and Forster has helped our Board to identify priorities and coordinate our response to Government consultation and DH announcements on NHS service provision.  At local level, we arranged media and lobbying training for BASHH branch leads and have prioritised the need for local NHS service improvements to be argued for and supported by National initiatives.

BASHH is delighted with the advice, support and work that M&F have done-sexual health delivery targets, new resources and improved prioritisation of this public health problem have been achieved alongside establishing BASHH as the key professional stakeholder in this area.