BLACKBURN’s main sexual health clinic is to return to the town after being based in Burnley for the last year.

Bosses have confirmed the Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinic will move into the Barbara Castle Way Health Centre from April, meaning patients needing tests and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases will no longer face a trip across East Lancashire.

The clinic, which had been based at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, was forced to move to the St Peter’s Centre in Burnley in early 2014, when bosses decided to expand the emergency department.

There had been some concerns about the move, because at that time bosses had not been able to confirm an alternative venue in Blackburn.

But Vanessa Hollings, a divisional general manager at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted that the alterations at Barbara Castle Way Health Centre are now complete so we can again provide clinics for people of all ages locally in Blackburn with Darwen.

“We would like to thank patients for their tolerance and apologise for the inconvenience of our Blackburn GUM services being mainly provided in Burnley for the past year.”

The clinic will be joined at Barbara Castle Way by the smaller Contraception and Sexual Health (CaSH) service, which has been based at the adjoining Everybody Centre in the interim.

Councillor Mohammed Khan, cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: “I am delighted that this project has now been completed and this greatly improved co-located service will soon be up and running and providing excellent sexual health and GUM care from the same location in a modern, fit-for-purpose health facility in the centre of Blackburn.”

There could still be uncertainty surrounding the service, however, after council commissioners confirmed a review of its sexual health contracts in December.

Blackburn with Darwen Council said at the time: “At this stage no decisions have been made as to who will provide this remodelled service.”