Liverpool’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity has shown support for an MP’s latest fight.
Sahir House has backed Walton MP Dan Carden’s call for HIV testing to become the standard in the city’s A&E departments.
The Labour representative hopes if the action was to be introduced it would drive down local rates of undiagnosed HIV - something which Sahir House believes is very possible.
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Ant Hopinkson, CEO of Sahir House, told the ECHO : “It’s extremely encouraging to see our local MPs continue to rally behind our HIV testing, treatment and prevention efforts. I'm thrilled that Dan has elected to so fully champion the case for 'opt-out' testing for HIV within our A&E departments.
“Vigorous advocacy concerning important matters such as this is exactly what is needed right now - especially with our Sexual Health Services facing significant funding cuts and increased demand for services.”
MP Carden wrote to 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.
The Labour representative for Walton 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.”
Earlier this month, and coinciding with World AIDS Day, data was released which highlighted that Liverpool had achieved and exceeded 'triple 95' targets. 95% of people living with HIV in Liverpool are aware of their status, of these 99% are receiving treatment and 98% are virally suppressed - meaning they cannot transmit HIV to others.
Despite the city being “well on track” to end all new cases of HIV by 2030 - and ultimately contribute towards the end of HIV/AIDS in the UK - Ant emphasises “we cannot afford to become complacent”.
Ant added: “We know that routine testing for HIV within A&E departments works and that it is highly effective in identifying people living with HIV who were unaware of their status and/or underserved by mainstream healthcare provision. This approach is something we all want to see quickly rolled out - not only in Liverpool but across the Liverpool City Region. We desperately need additional government funding to make this a reality.”
Mr Carden took 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 six 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”.
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