Healthcare in Wales is fully devolved. It is run by NHS Wales (GIG Cymru), which is controlled by the Welsh Government, not NHS England. While the foundational principles—free care, the sexual health firewall—are the same as the rest of the UK, the structure is completely different.
🏛️ Local Health Boards (LHBs)
Unlike England's trust system, NHS Wales is organised geographically into seven Local Health Boards (LHBs). These boards are responsible for planning and delivering all healthcare services within their area, including sexual health.
The seven LHBs are:
- Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
- Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (Gwent/Newport)
- Swansea Bay University Health Board
- Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (Bridgend, Merthyr, Rhondda)
- Hywel Dda University Health Board (Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire)
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (North Wales)
- Powys Teaching Health Board (Mid Wales)
Your access to PrEP and specialist sexual health care is provided directly through your LHB. Because of Wales's geography, access is uneven: Cardiff and Swansea have excellent, concentrated provision, while rural areas like Powys rely more heavily on postal testing and travel.
🪪 The NHS Number & GP Registration
Wales uses the same 10-digit NHS Number system as England and the Isle of Man.
Do you need an NHS Number for sexual healthcare? No. Sexual health clinics operate under a strict legal exemption. You do not need to prove residency, you do not need an NHS Number, and you do not need a GP to be tested, treated for an STI, given PEP, or prescribed PrEP.
How to get an NHS Number: Registering with a General Practitioner (GP) in Wales generates your NHS Number.
- Find a local GP surgery using the NHS Wales 111 service directory.
- Ask to register as a patient.
- Under NHS guidelines, you do not need proof of address or proof of ID to register with a GP, though some receptionists incorrectly demand it. You are entitled to decline.
🔒 The Sexual Health Firewall
Wales operates the same strict legal separation between your general medical records (held by your GP) and your sexual health records (held by the LHB clinic).
When you attend a sexual health clinic, they are not allowed to share your attendance, your HIV status, your PrEP usage, or your STI results with your GP without your explicit, written consent.
🏴 Welsh Language Rights
Under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all NHS Wales bodies have a legal duty to provide services bilingually. You have the absolute right to request your sexual health appointment, clinical consultation, and written correspondence in Welsh.
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