I recently visited the Blanche Heriot Unit of St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey. The clinic staff had kindly agreed for me to take some photographs in the clinic, for us to use to illustrate content on aidsmap and in our information materials (you can see some of these in the slideshow below). I was met by Shirley Cumming, the clinic administrator, on a morning when the clinic was closed to the public; she showed me around and introduced me to the other staff.
The Blanche Heriot Unit is a combined HIV and GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinic, offering sexual health screening, emergency contraception, outpatient HIV services, outreach services and community clinics. It is a small but busy clinic, with around 300 HIV outpatients.
Access all areas…
Shirley and I wandered around the clinic, looking at the reception area, waiting rooms, and consulting rooms. We spoke to Patricia Brown, a health adviser at the clinic, who showed me the counselling room she uses and kindly posed for some photos. I was pleased to see the latest edition of HIV treatment update on display!
We also visited some of the areas behind the scenes, including the laboratory, where Shirley introduced me to the clinic’s HIV pharmacist, Jane Akodu. Jane also agreed to pose for some pictures and we got to talking about the How treatment works leaflet, from our basics series, which Shirley and Jane thought could be a useful thing to pin up in the pharmacy.
…even the toilets!
In order to help people get the information and resources they need, the clinic keeps its toilets well-stocked! Patients visiting the clinic might feel awkward about asking for condoms, or might not feel comfortable picking up a leaflet from the public areas, so the toilets have information posters, some leaflets and a supply of condoms, which are regularly restocked.
Everyone I met was very welcoming and helpful – I really enjoyed my visit and getting to see the work that goes on in a clinic, especially to get a sense of the hard work going on behind the scenes. We finished our tour in the office, which has a NAM antiretroviral drug chart pinned on the noticeboard for quick reference. It was really helpful to see the different ways NAM resources are used by staff and made available to patients.
More information
For more information on the Blanche Heriot Unit, including clinic times, you can visit their website at: www.blancheheriot.info and their entry in NAM’s e-atlas here.
If you would be willing to host a visit to your HIV clinic or service – especially if you would be happy for us to take some photographs – please contact us at info@nam.org.uk.