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<p>HIV testing is essential, as it allows those with HIV to be offered lifesaving
treatment, and prevents its onward transmission. This is why we have committed to
scaling up HIV testing in our HIV Action Plan. As part of the HIV Action Plan, NHS
England made an initial £20 million available over three years to 2025, for HIV opt-out
testing in 34 emergency departments (EDs) in areas with extremely high HIV prevalence,
areas with five or more HIV cases per 1,000 residents aged 15 to 59 years old. The
plan also included Blackpool in 2019, at 4.9 HIV cases per 1,000 residents aged 15
to 59 years old, and the whole of London, including some local areas with high HIV
prevalence supported with additional funding from NHS London.</p><p> </p><p>In November
2024, the Government announced new research, commissioned through the National Institute
for Health and Care Research, to evaluate an expansion of blood-borne virus opt-out
testing, including HIV, in 47 additional EDs in local areas of England with high HIV
prevalence. These would be areas with two to five HIV cases per 1,000 residents aged
15 to 59 years old, and would include the Wexham Park Hospital and Frimley Park Hospital
in Slough. The research project is currently in the set-up phase, and funding will
support 12 months of testing for each ED, although it is at the discretion of individual
sites when the testing will commence. It is the responsibility of individual EDs to
make service users aware of the availability of HIV and other blood-borne virus opt-out
testing, as appropriate.</p><p> </p><p>HIV opt-out testing in EDs in areas with extremely
high HIV prevalence has shown very encouraging outcomes so far, and at 21 months has
delivered 2.6 million HIV tests, and found more than 1,000 people with undiagnosed
or untreated HIV, including those who would not have been found via other testing
routes. Making HIV testing routine in a front-line health care setting such as an
ED, raises the awareness of HIV and helps remove the stigma associated with HIV testing.</p><p>
</p><p>We are also working to improve workforce training in the National Health Service
to increase HIV awareness, and in collaboration with the UK Health Security Agency
(UKHSA), to continue to monitor the levels of stigma and discrimination experienced
by people living with HIV within the health and social care system, as well as within
community settings. The UKHSA published the positive voices survey report in early
2024, which presents key indicators for HIV stigma, and is available at the following
link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hiv-positive-voices-survey/positive-voices-2022-survey-report"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hiv-positive-voices-survey/positive-voices-2022-survey-report</a></p><p>
</p><p>Further work is underway to develop key indicators for monitoring quality of
life and stigma for people living with HIV.</p>
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