In September 2006 MedFASH responded to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) consultation on the way in which it deals with cases involving the intentional or reckless sexual transmission of infections which cause grievous bodily harm. MedFASH also published an editorial in the BMJ (30 September 2006) arguing that criminal prosecution for HIV transmission is a threat to public health. A version of this editorial was also published in student BMJ (December 2006).

MedFASH is a long-term member of the Sex Education Forum, the national authority on sex and relationships education. Since 2005, our Executive Director, Ruth Lowbury, has been the Chair of the Forum. In May 2006, the Forum launched Beyond Biology, a programme of work calling for personal, social and health education (PSHE), which includes sex and relationships education, to be made a statutory requirement for all schools. For more information and to support the call, go to the Beyond Biology website.

MedFASH has worked with four other national sexual health charities - Brook, fpa, National AIDS Trust and Terence Higgins Trust - to highlight the sexual health challenges facing the NHS, to advocate for priority for national and local responses to these, and to offer support to national and local decision-makers in the NHS on sexual health. In January 2006 we jointly published a review of PCT Local Delivery Plans 2005-08 which recommended the establishment of sexual health improvement as a top tier priority for the NHS (as implemented shortly after with the inclusion of the GUM 48-hour access target in the NHS Operating Framework for 2006-7.

Earlier joint papers included Sexual Health and HIV - an urgent economic and public health challenge (2004) and National Standards Local Action to improve sexual health and HIV (2005).

In response to a recommendation from the review by Hilary Scott, former Deputy Health Service Ombudsman, "Meeting the health care needs of people seeking asylum" published on 16 December 2004, NASS drafted a policy bulletin 'Dispersing Asylum Seekers With Health Care Needs'. We produced a response to the draft in August 2005. NASS published the final document - Policy Bulletin No 85 - in December 2005.

In 2005 several Area Child Protection Committees (ACPCs) issued protocols to professionals setting out the way in which they should give sexual health and relationship advice to young people under 18. In October 2005 we submitted a response to consultation by the Department for Education & Skills (DfES) on revisions to its guidance 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' which included questions relating to the national application of such protocols. Our response included a statement prepared jointly with other interested organisations which also collaboratively obtained legal advice on the compatibility of the pan-London and Sheffield protocols with the European Convention on Human Rights.

In June 2004 we responded to Choosing Health?, the national consultation on public health. The White Paper Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier was published in November 2004. Our Executive Director, Ruth Lowbury, was invited in 2005 to chair one of the task groups to advise on the development of the White Paper delivery plan.

In May 2005 MedFASH provided a response to the Scottish Executive's proposals for legislation on blood testing following criminal incidents where there is a risk of infection.

2004-5: Inquiry into new developments in HIV/AIDS and sexual health policy
Following up its 2003 report, the Health Select Committee conducted an enquiry into new developments in HIV/AIDS and sexual health policy. We gave written evidence to the Committee and in the final report, published in March 2005 (Volume 1 and Volume 2) there are several references to this evidence.
The government published its response to the Health Select Committee's report in July 2005. This was followed by a commentary from the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV in February 2006.

2002-3: Inquiry into sexual health
The Health Select Committee conducted an inquiry into Sexual Health, and stated that it was "appallled by the crisis in sexual health" in England. We gave written evidence to the Committee, followed by oral evidence at its session on 12 December 2002 and supplementary written evidence.

The Committee's report, published in June 2003, refers in several places to evidence from MedFASH. The government published its response to the Health Committee's report in September 2003. This was followed by a response to the report from the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV in January 2004.

We are concerned about the public health and ethical implications of restricting access to HIV treatment. We support a joint statement calling for access to HIV services for all migrants to the UK, developed in 2004 following changes in regulations regarding entitlement to NHS services. We had explained our position in our October 2003 response to the Department of Health's proposed amendments to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, and later in our August 2004 response to its proposals to exclude overseas visitors from eligibility to free NHS primary medical services.

We respond to consultations on draft guidance from government and professional bodies where they have relevance for HIV or sexual health. Please contact us if you would like to see a copy of our responses to the Crown Prosecution Service consultation on cases involving the sexual transmission of infections which cause grievous bodily harm, Department of Health consultations on Confidentiality and disclosure of patient information: HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (2006), Your Health Your Care Your Say (2005), Proposals to exclude overseas visitors from eligibility to free NHS primary medical services (2004), Proposed Amendments to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 (Oct 2003), Health Clearance for Serious Communicable Diseases: New Health Care Workers (April 2003), Management of HIV Infected Health Care Workers and Patient Notification (Oct 2002), to the Healthcare Commission on its framework Assessment for Improvement (2005) and to the UK National Screening Committee on NHS screening standards for infectious diseases in pregnancy (Jan 2002). We also responded to consultation on the review of the Quality and Outcomes Framework of the General Medical Services contract (2005) and to consultation on the draft curriculum for postgraduate GP education from the RCGP (2005).