5 Reasons To Choose A Private London GUM Clinic

The idea of visiting a sexual health clinic fills many people with dread at the best of times. So, it's important to find a practice that fits with your lifestyle and puts you at ease. The most important thing is to never let worries about a clinic prevent you from getting tested.

There are around 30 NHS-run GUM (genito-urinary medicine) clinics across London. However, not all of them offer walk-in services, and some have higher waiting times than others.

If any of the issues below match your concerns, you may be better suited to visiting a private clinic:

1) You're pressed for time

According to NHS statistics, 77% of London GUM clinics offer an appointment within 48 hours – but perhaps you can't wait that long? Even those that offer walk-in services recommend arriving as early as possible to get seen.

It may not be possible for you to arrive early, and there is no guarantee how long you'll be sitting in the waiting room. Many people find spending half a day waiting in an NHS GU clinic dispiriting and embarrassing. At a private clinic, you can be seen on time, often by a friendly doctor you know and get everything sorted out quickly and efficiently. And, if you're very worried about possible infection, you may want to see a doctor as soon as possible.

2) You want to go at the last minute

Life for most people in London is pretty hectic. You may only be able to take advantage of last-minute openings in your schedule (maybe heading out in your lunch hour, or after a meeting across the city). Because private walk-in clinics are often faster, you can usually be in and out in under half an hour. Also, most private clinics realise that people have lives to lead and so will open on Saturdays and also in the early morning and later evenings.

3) You're concerned about confidentiality

With any GUM clinic you can choose to keep your real name confidential. However, for the reasons mentioned above (longer queues and more time out of the office) you may feel that you're more likely to be seen or arouse suspicion in your workplace. This is particularly important for those who want to keep their visit a secret from colleagues and friends. Many people worry about data being passed to others or to a Central Government database. This certainly does not happen in the private sector. You can give any name you wish and be as anonymous as you like. No data about your tests or results is passed to any official agency.

4) You want fast results

Depending on the type of test you're looking for, a private GUM clinic may offer much faster results than NHS counterparts. For example, most NHS clinics don't offer HIV testing for infection that's suspected to have occurred less than 3 months prior. At a good private clinic, however, you may be able to get tested for infection that occurred little as 10 days before.

In many cases, results can be available within 4 hrs, or even within minutes.

5) You want less stress

Excellent though NHS GUM clinics often are, they are frequently busy and often involve long waiting times (as mentioned above). Of course, this can add more stress to an experience that for many is already quite uncomfortable.  

The best private London clinics will be discreet, totally non-judgemental and fast – helping alleviate your stress. In some cases, you'll have access to the finest private doctors available.

Always ensure that a private practice is Care Quality Commission registered. That way you can be sure that you're getting the best possible care. And, if you're worried about any of the issues above, consider going to a private GUM clinic for your testing.

Article Source: http://www.info-hog.com