If you are in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and have active symptoms—or need PrEP, vaccines, or complex care—Sandyford is your destination. Based in the West End, it is the flagship sexual health and wellbeing centre for the region and one of the most LGBTQ+-competent clinics in the UK.
🏥 Finding Sandyford
The main Sandyford Central clinic is located at 2-6 Sandyford Place, Glasgow. They also operate several local community clinics across the Health Board, but complex care (like PrEP initiation or specialist chemsex support) is usually handled at the central hub.
Check sandyford.scot for current opening hours and service updates.
📅 Getting an Appointment
Like most UK clinics, Sandyford relies heavily on phone triage and online booking. Walk-ins for routine testing are not available.
- For routine asymptomatic screening: Use the Sandyford home testing portal online.
- If you have symptoms: Call them directly. They operate a daily triage system. Call as early as possible (often 8:30 AM when phone lines open) to secure a same-day or next-day emergency slot.
Be explicit: If you are calling triage, you must use clear language. If you say, "I need a checkup," you will be told to order a kit online. If you say, "I am a man who has sex with men and I have painful urethral discharge," you will be booked into a clinical slot.
🩸 What Happens at the Clinic
Sandyford is highly affirming and accustomed to the full range of MSM health presentations. Your answers to the sexual history questionnaire remain completely confidential under the NHS Firewall (they will not be shared with your GP).
The Three-Site Principle
You will undergo standard "three-site" testing:
- Urine: To check for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in the urethra.
- Throat Swab: To check for oral infections.
- Rectal Swab: To check for anal infections.
Blood Tests & Results
A nurse will draw blood to test for HIV and Syphilis (and kidney function if you are on PrEP). Standard screening results take between 3 and 10 days, delivered by text. If you have active symptoms on the day, microscopy can sometimes provide an immediate diagnosis and same-day antibiotics.
🏳️🌈 Specialized Support
Sandyford is deeply integrated with LGBTQ+ support networks:
- PrEP: They handle NHS PrEP prescribing and monitoring.
- Chemsex: They are accustomed to discussing slamming, G use, and chemsex without judgment, and can provide harm reduction advice or refer you to specialist addiction services.
- Counseling: They offer in-house sexual health counseling.
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