A new service for young people with drug or alcohol addiction has opened in a Birmingham sexual health clinic.

Based in Umbrella’s Under 20s Clinic in Boots, High Street, the new service is run by Aquarius and is part of the Umbrella sexual health partnership. The co-location of sexual health and addiction support services is one example of Umbrella working closely with its partners to provide holistic support to young people in the city.

Caroline Hickey, Senior Practitioner at Aquarius, said, “The brilliant thing about Umbrella is that it offers an integrated service and is flexible and responsive enough to address young people’s needs, whether that’s clinical sexual health services or addiction support. It’s important to offer our free and confidential services where young people can access them easily, and with the busy clinic in Boots, we have an ideal opportunity to help under 18s who use alcohol and drugs, or who are affected by someone else's substance use".

The Umbrella sexual health service is run by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) and is a unique network of local providers which includes Aquarius, Birmingham LGBT and a number of other organisations. It also includes NHS clinics, almost 100 pharmacists, and GPs.

To speak to Aquarius, young people can fill in a flyer at Boots Under 20s clinic or call to make an appointment.

Tel: 0121 237 5700