MP urges routine HIV tests for A&E visitors
CITY NHS HAS MISSED OUT ON FUNDING FOR MEASURE
CITY MP and former Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth is calling for Leicester Royal Infirmary patients arriving at the A&E department to be tested for HIV to help find undetected cases of the virus.
Leicester is rated as having a “high” rate of HIV and people outside London are statistically more likely to go undiagnosed.
Mr Ashworth, Labour MP for Leicester South, thinks patients going into hospital A&E departments should be tested routinely to make sure people with HIV know their status so they can avoid passing it on to their sexual partners.
The UK Heath Security Agency estimates 5,150 people are living in the UK with undiagnosed HIV.
In Leicester, there are about 1,400 known to have HIV, but stopping the spread of the virus requires finding those who who are undiagnosed.
Last year, the government launched its HIV Action Plan with £20 million for testing in A&E departments - a move supported by the Terrence Higgins Trust, National AIDS Trust and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. However, none of the funding will come to Leicester.
Mr Ashworth said: “As it has become clear that all the government’s funding will go to London, Brighton, Central Manchester and
Salford, I am calling on the Health Secretary for this funding and effective HIV testing at A&E to cover Leicester.”
“With those undiagnosed being twice as likely to live outside London, the Government must provide equity across all parts of the country, including Leicester.”
In locations where the testing does take place, an “opt-out” system is employed - meaning everyone gets the test unless they ask not to have it.
Mr Ashworth urged people to get regular HIV tests.
He said: “It’s important that people get tested and regularly. We have first class places here in Leicester to get tested, such as Haymarket Health and Trade Sexual Health.
“It is also important that the government does all it can to help people to get tested, but it is leaving areas like Leicester behind.”
The MP’s call for funding for testpeople ing at Leicester Royal Infirmary was backed by Richard Angell, campaigns director at the Terrence Higgins Trust.
Mr Angell said: “We want to encourage everyone to test for HIV and know their status.
“This knowledge is key to getting on treatment quickly or learning the best way to stay negative with condoms or PrEP, the HIV prevention drug. However, to find the 5,150 people living with undiagnosed HIV in the UK, HIV testing must become normalised in the NHS.
“Leicester needs opt-out HIV testing at Leicester Royal Infirmary’s A&E and the government should provide funding to make this happen locally and not just outside London, Brighton and Manchester.
“It is great to be working with Jon Ashworth MP to make this happen – together we can ensure everyone knows their HIV status.”