Contraception

The NHS provides free access to contraception for all patients.

Many local community pharmacies now provide contraceptive services, including both initiation and maintenance of existing contraceptive methods. Some pharmacies offer walk-in services as well as appointments, providing additional capacity for these needs.

You can find pharmacies that offer this service near where you are on the dedicated NHS website

Alternatively, you can contact the surgery or the local Contraception and Sexual Health Clinic (CASH).

Contact information CASH Clinic for Contraception

or contact the Surgery for Contraception.

Emergency Contraception

Many people have sex without using contraception. Sometimes we can forget to use contraception properly or occasionally it can fail for other reasons. If you have had sex without using effective contraception and you are not trying for a baby, it may not be too late to prevent a pregnancy.

Emergency Contraception pills (sometimes called ‘the morning after pill’) must be taken within 72 hours (3 days) of having sex. These pills are most effective if taken within 12 hours. If more than 72 hours (3 days) have passed you may have other options. We can offer certain patients an emergency contraceptive pill which can be taken up to 5 days (120 hours) after sex. In some situations we may offer to fit an Intrauterine Device as emergency contraception which may be helpful if you also want to establish regular contraception.

As part of the Sexual Health Service they have over 100 community pharmacies signed up to deliver a free emergency contraception service to females aged 13 years or over in County Durham to prevent unintended conceptions. Click link below to see participating pharmacies in your area. It is advisable to check that a trained pharmacist is on site prior to attending.

Emergency Contraception Participating Pharmacies

Online Condoms Service Information

The free online condom service is available to any County Durham or Darlington resident aged 16 or over via the Sexual Health Services Website

The service offers a choice of condoms & each pack consists of 8 condoms, 2 sachets of lubricant, a sexual health service card & a link to an online survey for feedback. The orders are posted out in discreet packaging to the clients home address.

All clients between the ages of 13-15 are redirected to the C Card Page of the website and advised to visit their nearest C Card outlet.