A Liverpool MP has called for HIV testing to become the standard in Liverpool’s A&E departments.
Dan Carden MP hopes if the action were to be introduced it would drive down local rates of undiagnosed HIV.
The Labour representative for Walton has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’ s recently appointed Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, to ask for the funding necessary for what’s known as ‘opt-out’ testing for HIV at Liverpool’s hospitals, as the city is classed as an area of high HIV prevalence.
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Mr Carden said: “There are over 5,000 people living with undiagnosed HIV in the UK – and Liverpool is a high HIV prevalence area. This calls for a tried, tested and overdue approach to be adopted – opt-out HIV testing in the local hospitals. That’s why I’ve written to the Health Secretary to call on the Government to listen to the evidence, fund routine HIV testing in our Emergency Department and protect local people’s health.”
Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, believe this proactive approach to HIV testing is crucial for achieving the Government’s goal of ending new HIV cases by 2030.
The charity also claims it will help to tackle “shocking rates” of late diagnosis, with more than 4 in 10 people nationally still being diagnosed at a late stage. A late-stage diagnosis is “bad for the individual’s health and also means they could unwittingly pass on HIV to partners”.
Richard Angell, campaigns director at Terrence Higgins Trust, added: “We need to redouble our efforts to end new cases of HIV. Get it right and we could be the first country in the world to end new HIV transmissions. A crucial part of that is increasing HIV testing and we urgently need that to be expanded to places like Liverpool and all other areas with a high prevalence of HIV.”
Mr Carden has taken action after the results of the first 600 days of opt-out HIV testing in areas classed as having ‘very high’ HIV prevalence were released, including areas like London, Blackpool, Brighton and Manchester.
In just 6 months – thanks to £20 million funding from the Government – relevant A&Es diagnosed 102 people with HIV, as well as finding a further 60 people who knew they were HIV positive but weren’t engaged with services. Mr Carden wants to see the same progress achieved in Liverpool.
Those diagnosed via opt-out testing in Accident & Emergency were more like to be heterosexual, women and of Black ethnicity than those diagnosed in sexual health departments.
Mr Carden claims “these results mean the initiative has already paid for itself as those with undiagnosed will likely present with a complication relating to HIV at a later date – and add additional cost to the health system”.
Currently, there is “no funding or a plan” for tackling undiagnosed HIV in the next tier of need where prevalence is high, including for Liverpool.
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