Hospitals in London to check patients for HIV under radical plans to eradicate transmission by 2030
Health Secretary Wes Streeting says £170 million will go towards making it happen.
Hospitals in London are going to check patients for HIV - under radical plans to eradicate transmission by the end of the decade.
The Health Secretary says the goal to end new HIV transmissions by 2030 is now within reach thanks to a new action plan.
The HIV action plan, being unveiled by Wes Streeting on World Aids Day today (Monday 1 December), is set to re-engage people who have left HIV care, bringing them back to lifesaving treatment.
Backed by £170 million funding, the plan is also aimed at tackling the stigma surrounding HIV, with opt-out testing at A&Es during routine blood tests.
The testing programme will be delivered in areas with the highest rates, including here in London and Manchester, reaching thousands of people with undiagnosed infections who might never otherwise visit a sexual health clinic, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "I promised to end HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and we are making this a reality thanks to our action plan, with a groundbreaking new HIV prevention programme, at home tests made available through the NHS app, and delivering opt out testing in emergency departments."
Mr Streeting said: "HIV treatment has been transformed. Today, people living with HIV can enjoy full, healthy lives - and can't pass the virus on to others. That's remarkable progress.
"But we can go further. Ending new HIV transmissions by 2030 is ambitious - and this government is determined to make it happen."
The DHSC said it will target its support towards the around 5,000 people living with HIV who are no longer in care, with reasons including mental health issues, addiction, poverty and fear of judgement.
Hospital staff in trusts where the opt out scheme is in place will also receive anti-stigma training, so patients can access care without fear of being judged for their HIV status.
Announced on Sunday, a £5 million trial will see home HIV testing kits ordered at the touch of a button through the NHS App.
"We'll bring people into life-saving care and find infections early, when treatment works best, so everyone can live the full, healthy life they deserve.
The trial will allow at-risk patients to order home HIV tests seamlessly, receive results securely, and contact their GP or sexual health clinics from their phone.
The new digital service will offer a discreet route for those anxious about their sexual health to get tested without visiting a clinic.
"Our national re-engagement programme, a truly innovative and agile approach, targets the epidemic where it's growing and leaving no one behind," Mr Streeting said.
"We'll bring people into life-saving care and find infections early, when treatment works best, so everyone can live the full, healthy life they deserve.
"Thanks to the work of determined campaigners across our country, ending new HIV transmissions by 2030 - a history making, world changing goal - is within reach. This government will now put its shoulder to the wheel to deliver this change."
Anne Aslett, chief executive of The Elton John Aids Foundation, said: "The new HIV Action Plan is an important step toward ending new HIV transmissions in England. We welcome the extra funding for opt-out testing in emergency departments, a model the Foundation first piloted in 2018. The latest results speak volumes, over 90% of people newly diagnosed in emergency departments had never been tested for HIV before. Smart, targeted investment like this saves lives.
"With up to 12,000 people living with HIV currently out of care, the £9 million investment in retention is crucial for keeping people healthy and stopping onward transmission.
"But without bold investment in prevention, including making PrEP widely accessible to everyone who needs it, ending new infections will remain out of reach."