Leicestershire & Rutland Sexual Health
Since 2025, HCRG Care Group has been deliver a new integrated sexual health service for Leicester and Rutland. The focus is on investing in prevention through a revitalised hub in Loughborough, expanded spoke clinics and targeted outreach across the counties. Together with a new single point of access, and a dedicated partnership with UX organisation SH:24, education and services are becoming more visible and accessible and are changing community health for good.
Leicestershire & Rutland Sexual Health
HCRG Care Group is providing system leadership for sexual health services in Leicester and Rutland, for a contract that commenced 1st April 2025, acting as the single accountable organisation to commissioners for all outcomes, performance and finances.
Visit Service WebsiteServices include:
- System leadership of sexual health services
- Hub and spoke model sexual health clinics
- In-clinic and digital STI and HIV testing and treatment
- PrEP HIV Prevention
- Family Planning
- Contraception and LARC provision
- Digital sexual health advice
- Dedicated outreach nursing teams
- Training programmes for wider partners
This service is led by
Stephen Giles
Head of Strategy, Partnerships and Growth
Stephen was the General Manager of Sexual Health at HCRG Care Group for several years. He now also manages our Partnerships and Development to help transformation take place nationwide.
We’re investing upfront for a transformation of services
At the centre of our hub-and-spoke model is the Leicester & Rutland Sexual Health Hub in Loughborough, supported by at least five weekly full-day spoke clinics. We’re investing in revitalising the hub with a bright, branded identity, so the service can be more visible, accessible and welcoming – mirroring our successful developments in neighbouring regions.
The service team is multidisciplinary and consultant-led
Bringing together specialist doctors, nurses, health care assistants and administrators, dedicated nursing outreach teams are also working with local VCFSE organisations to engage high-risk and harder-to-reach groups in ways that go beyond service specification requirements.
This model embodies HCRG’s Quality Promise
With continuous improvement, services co-designed with local communities, and staff who are qualified, supported and motivated, delivering high-quality services that are benchmarked against our national data while remaining tailored to local needs.
A new Single Point of Access (SPA) is creating a “no wrong door” approach to care
Service users are supported or triaged by skilled L&R-based colleagues who can direct them to the right level of care first time, raising awareness on alternative care options. This SPA enables universal access whether a person calls by phone, or accesses support online – and they’re increasingly choosing online.
Our partnership with SH:24 gives us access to innovative digital provision
From day one of the contract, a new co-produced website began to give residents access to clinic information, appointment booking, SMS reminders, digital self-triage, online contraception and STI testing.
We’re expanding SIT testing and outreach
We’re extending spoke clinic days and locations to increase capacity and access. We’re also actively targeting those at highest risk, including sex workers, people in public sex environments, ChemSex participants and MSM – and we’re offering rapid-response outreach in communities where service users can’t or don’t want to visit the clinical hub.
Other early priorities for the first year of the service have included launching an FSRH-accredited Long Acting Reversible Contraception LARC training programme for GPs, with support from industry partners Bayer and Organon. This follows a successful pilot in Greater Manchester, where LARC activity increased by 78% in the two years. Similarly, we’re revamping and extending the condom distribution scheme, following proven models in Oldham, Bury and Rochdale.
Looking ahead
We’ll be analysing data and trends so we can plan for future innovations, for example digitising PrEP, prescribing services and ‘digital women’s health hub’ support. And we’re sharing the data we collect across the sexual health system to improve outcomes across the community.
Visit Service WebsiteWhat’s happening at a glance
Revitalised hub in Loughborough and expanded spoke clinics.
Single Point of Access with no wrong door for targeted universal access.
Fully integrated digital provision with SH:24, with digital self-triage and access to self-test kits.
Expanded outreach and targeted support for high-risk and hard-to-reach groups.
FSRH-accredited LARC training programme for GP surgeries.
Stemming the migration of L&R patients to out of area clinics.
Revamped condom distribution scheme to increase uptake.
Strengthening pathways with maternity, termination of pregnancy services and SARCs.
Our partners for this service
