British Association for
Sexual Health and HIV
Established 2003 through the merger of
MSSVD (est.1922) and AGUM (est.1992)
Charity number: 1148196 Company number: 7863350
VAT registration number: 859195278
Chester House, 68 Chestergate,
Macclesfield, SK11 6DY
Tel: 01625 664523
Fax: 01625 664510
e-mail: admin@bashh.org
www.bashh.org
Jackie Smith
Chief Executive and Registrar
Nursing and Midwifery Council
23 Portland Place
London
W1B 1PZ
8th January 2014
Dear Jackie
We are writing to you regarding the recent consultation on proof of maintenance of competency in nurses
to ensure the public are protected from de-skilled and incompetent practitioners. The Board of the British
Association for Sexual Health & HIV (BASHH) welcomes this proposed change for nurses to have ongoing
proof of clinical competence as we believe that the public will have confidence in our speciality by being
aware that our nursing staff, who provide significant amounts of direct sexual and reproductive health care,
are required to maintain their clinical skills and be up to date on the knowledge that underpins practice.
We are unsure if you are aware of BASHH, but the objectives of the organisation are
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To promote, encourage and improved the study and practice of the art and science of
diagnosing and treating sexually transmitted diseases including all sexually transmitted
infections, HIV and other sexual health problems.
To advance the education of the public in all matters concerning the medical specialty of
Genitourinary Medicine to include the management of HIV infections and the broader aspects
of sexual health including contraception.
To advance public health so far as it is affected by sexually transmitted diseases and to
promote and encourage the study of the public aspects of sexually transmitted diseases
including all sexually transmitted infections, HIV and other sexual health problems.
To promote a high standard in the medical specialty of Genitourinary Medicine to include the
management of HIV infections and the broader aspects of sexual health
The Association membership includes medical practitioners, registered nurses, and scientists in the field of
medicine and Sexual Health Advisers who have shown a commitment to the specialty.
The National Sexual Health Strategy (2001) emphasised the provision of more sexual health care in the
Primary Care setting. In response BASHH (British Association for Sexual Health and HIV) developed a 2day sexually transmitted infection foundation course (STIF). This course has been updated (from August
2010) and is now structured to include approximately 7 hours of e-learning followed by one
CORE/Foundation day and one STIF-PLUS contact day. New material has been introduced covering
sexual assault, Hepatitis, Genital Dermatology and Syphilis.
President
Dr Janet Wilson
Dept of GU Medicine
Leeds General Infirmary
Great George Street
Leeds LS1 3EX
Tel: 0113 3926762
janet_d.wilson@leedsth.nhs.uk
Vice President
Dr Rajul Patel
Dept of GU/HIV Medicine, Level B
Royal South Hants Hospital
St. Mary’s Road
Southampton SO14 0YG
Tel: 0300 123 7399
prj466@aol.com
General Secretary
Dr Elizabeth Carlin
Dept of GU Medicine
King’s Mill Hospital
Mansfield Road
Sutton in Ashfield NG17 4JL
Tel: 01623 672260
elizabeth.carlin@sfh-tr.nhs.uk
Treasurer
Prof. Jonathan Ross
Whittall Street Clinic
Whittall Street
Birmingham
B4 6DH
Tel:0121 2375721
jonathan.ross@uhb.nhs.uk
For full details on our accreditation visit: www.nice.org.uk/accreditation
Conf. & Comm. Secretary
Dr Daniel Richardson
Sexual Health & HIV Medicine
Brighton & Sussex Universities NHS Trust
Eastern Road,
Brighton BN2 5BE
01273 664718
daniel.richardson@bsuh.nhs.uk
This course provides multidisciplinary training in the attitudes, skills, and knowledge required for the
prevention and management of STIs, using a variety of educational techniques. Core topics include:
national and local epidemiology of STIs, HIV and Teenage Pregnancies; principles of STI service provision;
sexual history taking, HIV testing in non-GU settings; Partner notification and management. Each
participant also rotates through small group workshops on common STI presentations.
In some deaneries all VTS trainees will have attended a STIF course before entering general practice. The
STIF Foundation Course is accredited by the Royal College of Nursing (12 study hours) and also
accredited by Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. Some healthcare providers make STIF a
core part of a new staff members induction programme.
The STIF course is constantly being revised and updated to keep up with current trends - a national
steering group with representation from BASHH, RCGP, RCN and the FRSH produces and reviews all
course materials including course director's manual, instructors' manual and teaching material and a
manual with self-assessment tool for delegates.
Since its inception there have been over 27,000 participants through the programme. The programme
which has from the outset been available to all staff who work in any sexual health related context has had
all members of the care team as participants. Nurses new to the speciality have used this framework as a
way to gain knowledge and clinical skills whilst in practice. It has also been the springboard for further
study within University programmes of study.
BASHH has three specific clinical competency based programmes – STIF Level 1, STIF Intermediate, and
STIF Level 2 which are modular competency-based training and assessment packages for non-specialist
and specialist health care professionals requiring more specialist skills to manage people with sexually
transmitted infections. The framework has been adapted from the Department of Health's best practice
guidance 'Competencies for providing more specialised sexually transmitted infection services within
primary care' iand complements the recommendations made in 'Standards for the management of sexually
transmitted infections (STIs)'ii (2).
BASHH became acutely aware from our nurse membership that we lacked clinical competency based
programmes which were robust and nationally based to ensure an accessible and consistent high standard
of sexual health nursing care. The natural development of the STIF portfolio was to enable nurses to have
both access to and actively be encouraged to attain a national competency based qualification. Our nurses
had made us aware that existing academic programmes provided knowledge but did not assess clinical
application of this knowledge. The public need to know that the clinicians attending to them not only have
knowledge but the commensurate clinical skills to meet their needs.
Aware of the need for all health staff to be engaged in continuous professional development BASHH has
pursued academic credit for nurses who wish or need academic credit to top up a degree or add to a
Master’s programme. Our STIF Intermediate and Level 2 competency based programmes have been credit
rated by the University of Greenwich. These programmes are valid for 5 years only. At the fifth anniversary
and review, clinical re-assessment will be required to maintain status at STIF Intermediate or STIF Level 2.
Nurses working at these levels will be seeing patients in their own right, managing and prescribing
treatment within local guidance but to a national standard. Individual job plans will vary based on need, but
President
Dr Janet Wilson
Dept of GU Medicine
Leeds General Infirmary
Great George Street
Leeds LS1 3EX
Tel: 0113 3926762
janet_d.wilson@leedsth.nhs.uk
Vice President
Dr Rajul Patel
Dept of GU/HIV Medicine, Level B
Royal South Hants Hospital
St. Mary’s Road
Southampton SO14 0YG
Tel: 0300 123 7399
prj466@aol.com
General Secretary
Dr Elizabeth Carlin
Dept of GU Medicine
King’s Mill Hospital
Mansfield Road
Sutton in Ashfield NG17 4JL
Tel: 01623 672260
elizabeth.carlin@sfh-tr.nhs.uk
Treasurer
Prof. Jonathan Ross
Whittall Street Clinic
Whittall Street
Birmingham
B4 6DH
Tel:0121 2375721
jonathan.ross@uhb.nhs.uk
For full details on our accreditation visit: www.nice.org.uk/accreditation
Conf. & Comm. Secretary
Dr Daniel Richardson
Sexual Health & HIV Medicine
Brighton & Sussex Universities NHS Trust
Eastern Road,
Brighton BN2 5BE
01273 664718
daniel.richardson@bsuh.nhs.uk
the programmes are designed to increase the availability of skilled practitioners to enable better access to
sexual health for the public.
We feel it is important that the NMC is aware of the work that BASHH has undertaken to provide our
membership, including our nurse colleagues, with the ability to maintain their registration and demonstrate
that their knowledge and clinical competence, especially at an advanced level, is assured. BASHH believes
this proof of maintenance of competence is especially important in the role of nurse practitioner as this is
not a protected title and as such means that staff with limited skills and abilities may be placed in roles for
which they have had limited training and skills assessment. Such a situation can rightly undermine public
confidence in the nurse practitioner role. BASHH believes that through our national STIF portfolio we
enable staff to have a competency framework that is robust, ensures revalidation and demonstrates to the
public that all STIF accredited nurses, doctors and sexual health advisers are working to a national
standard.
Should you wish further information on the work that BASHH is undertaking, we would welcome the
opportunity to either present to you in person or provide additional material to show the scope of our
competency framework and the future plans where we are working in partnership with the Faculty of Sexual
& Reproductive Health.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Janet Wilson MB ChB, FRCP
BASHH President
Colin Roberts RN RM MSc FRCN
Advanced Nurse Practitioner (sexual health)
Nurse Member BASHH Board
i
DOH (2006) Competencies for providing more specialised sexually transmitted
infection services within primary care: Assessment Toolkit. [Accessed 26/11/13] Available at:
http://www.bashh.org/documents/1885.pdf
ii BASHH (2010) Standards for the management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) [Accessed 26/11/13]
Updated Standards 2014
Available at: http://www.medfash.org.uk/uploads/files/p17abk5ffh1d8f15amvq41dju1hnu5.pdf
President
Dr Janet Wilson
Dept of GU Medicine
Leeds General Infirmary
Great George Street
Leeds LS1 3EX
Tel: 0113 3926762
janet_d.wilson@leedsth.nhs.uk
Vice President
Dr Rajul Patel
Dept of GU/HIV Medicine, Level B
Royal South Hants Hospital
St. Mary’s Road
Southampton SO14 0YG
Tel: 0300 123 7399
prj466@aol.com
General Secretary
Dr Elizabeth Carlin
Dept of GU Medicine
King’s Mill Hospital
Mansfield Road
Sutton in Ashfield NG17 4JL
Tel: 01623 672260
elizabeth.carlin@sfh-tr.nhs.uk
Treasurer
Prof. Jonathan Ross
Whittall Street Clinic
Whittall Street
Birmingham
B4 6DH
Tel:0121 2375721
jonathan.ross@uhb.nhs.uk
For full details on our accreditation visit: www.nice.org.uk/accreditation
Conf. & Comm. Secretary
Dr Daniel Richardson
Sexual Health & HIV Medicine
Brighton & Sussex Universities NHS Trust
Eastern Road,
Brighton BN2 5BE
01273 664718
daniel.richardson@bsuh.nhs.uk