Forty years on--contact tracing in Wakefield.

An audit of contact tracing activity for a range of common sexually transmitted diseases (STD) was performed prospectively on 100 consecutive referrals to the health advisers at the Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) clinic in Wakefield. Targets for contact attendance were set according to the initial index patient diagnosis. Health adviser contact tracing methods (telephone, letter, visit) were logged. A total of 119 contacts were identified; of these, 86 (73%) were seen and examined. Attendance within the target time of one working week was not achieved in gonorrhoea contacts, but 61% warts contacts attended within the target of 4 weeks. Tracing by patient-carried contact slips after interview with the health adviser was effective in the majority (68%) of notifications.