President’s Blog – Professor Matt Phillips – July 2025

11 July 2025 (Last updated: 11 Jul 2025 12:45)

Dearest Colleagues,

I hope you’re enjoying the summer and finding some time to soak up the sun and fresh air amidst everything else going on — and there’s certainly a lot happening!

It would be remiss not to kick things off with the Government’s NHS 10-Year Plan. The long-awaited NHS strategy document was finally published yesterday, after many months of anticipation and speculation. The Plan sets out the Government’s vision to ‘fundamentally re-wire our NHS’ and to establish a ‘Neighbourhood Health Service’, underpinned by a prevention-based principle, designed to ensure that care can be delivered as locally as possible. Notably, the Plan includes specific references to HIV, restating the ambition to publish a new long-term NHS Workforce Plan later this year, as well as reaffirming the goal to end new HIV transmissions in England by 2030, supported by a new HIV Action Plan that will similarly be published in 2025.

The Plan also sets out details around new public health working models, including the expectation for new 5-year external public health peer review exercises to be undertaken by local authorities, alongside the development of neighbourhood health plans. As set out within our BASHH response statement, we applaud the ambition of the Plan and stand ready to work with the Government towards its implementation, making the case for how sexual health services can provide a ready blueprint for genuinely population-centred, community-based centres of excellence.  

As you’ll know, it’s also conference season — and what a season it’s been! July has brought fresh momentum and important conversations.  BASHH’s Annual Conference in Edinburgh was a quite magical few days, bringing together our incredible family for a celebration of our specialty and to provide a platform for sparking vital conversations about the latest developments across all of our activity. One of my personal highlights was the discussion with Dame Lesley Regan, England’s Women’s Health Ambassador. Together with Dr Liz Okecha, we explored how GUM can help address the stark inequalities that women face in accessing healthcare. It was a candid, energising session that reinforced the critical role our specialty plays in so many different ways.

I was also delighted to host the second President’s Plant-Based Breakfast. Special thanks to Dr Woode-Owusu, who offered an early glimpse into our external EEDI review. Her insights are helping shape BASHH’s ongoing work to be inclusive, transparent, and impactful. If you joined us in Edinburgh — thank you. This conference is always a welcome reminder of the energy and wisdom that exists across BASHH — and how much we achieve when we come together.

BASHH also had a presence at the RCOG World Congress, held at ExCeL London in June. This flagship event brought together the global obstetrics and gynaecology community for three days of innovation, discussion, and knowledge exchange. BASHH was delighted to host an exhibition stand, where we had the chance to connect with colleagues from across the world and raise the profile of sexual health. A big thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with us — events like this remind us of the value of working across disciplines to deliver more integrated, inclusive care.

The momentum continues with the SAS Conference in Manchester in September. I’m looking forward to joining our SAS colleagues for what’s always a brilliantly curated programme full of education, collaboration, and — let’s be honest — excellent socialising too. If you’re heading to Manchester, I’ll see you there!

 

Marking Pride Month, it was a joy to co-author a LinkedIn blog in collaboration with GLADD’s outgoing Co-Chair, Kit Tigwell. Titled “Activism in Action: The Crucial Role of GUM Professionals”, the piece explored the long-standing legacy of GUM as a space of inclusion, advocacy, and progress for LGBTQ+ communities. We reflected on the specialty’s pivotal role in combating stigma, shaping national policy, and delivering patient-centred care to those often underserved by the wider healthcare system. The blog also highlighted the close alignment between BASHH and GLADD in pushing for equity in sexual health, education, and workforce inclusivity. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I encourage you to take a look — it’s a timely reminder that activism in healthcare is not just history, but a living, evolving responsibility we all share.

As ever, thank you for all that you do. There’s so much to be proud of, and even more to look forward to. Let’s keep the momentum going.

Yours,

Matt

Professor Matt Phillips
BASHH President