Sexually transmitted disease in the UK is continuing to increase with a 4% rise in reported cases, according to official figures released today.

The number of new cases of syphilis showed the highest increase between 2002 and 2003 with a rise of 28%, while diagnoses of chlamydia went up by 9% in the same period. There was also a 2% increase in cases of genital warts, the statistics from the Health Protection Agency reveal.

During the same period, however, there was a slight fall of 3% in the number of cases of gonorrhoea, with a 2% drop in the number of new cases of genital herpes.

The chairman of the British Medical Association, James Johnson, condemned the figures. He said: “Another year, another set of figures and yet more predictions of an impending public health crisis. Well, I’ve got news for the government, the crisis is here.

“It is a scandal that the services we offer patients today is worse than it was 90 years ago,” he said.

Releasing the figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the HPA chairman, Sir William Stewart, said: “These are preventable infections and it is a cause of considerable concern that we are still seeing increases in new diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across the UK and unsafe sex is undoubtedly a main contributor to this.”

He accepted that part of the increase reflected more people coming forward for testing because of increased awareness of STIs, but pointed out that gay men and young people generally were most affected.

Dr Angela Robinson, president of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV, which represents healthcare professionals, said the figures mirrored increased workload at genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics. She said: “Prompt access to GUM services for patients is essential if the number of new infections is to be reduced.”

In a statement, the public health minister, Melanie Johnson, said the government had invested £26m in improving access to GUM clinics and developing services. It has also highlighted the risks of STI in its sex lottery campaign which aimed to change sexual behaviour of those most at risk.

Comparison of numbers of new diagnoses between 2002 and 2003 show:

· Chlamydia increased by 9% (from 82,558 in 2002 to 89,818)
· Syphilis increased by 28% (from 1,232 in 2002 to 1,575)
· Gonorrhoea decreased by 3% (from 25,065 in 2002 to 24,309)
· Genital warts increased by 2% (from 69,569 in 2002 to 70,883)
· Genital herpes decreased by 2% (from 18,432 in 2002 to 17,990)

Meanwhile the FPA, the charity devoted to sexual health and protecting an individual’s reproductive rights, released the results of its own survey which showed that only two new GUM clinics have opened since 2002 and 54% of the existing 256 GUM clinics in the UK were open less than 21 hours a week.