All patients aged 18 years and over will now be routinely tested for HIV when they attend the Lotus Assessment Suite at Springfield Hospital. It follows the expansion of opt-out routine testing across all London Emergency Departments in 2022.
In London, an estimated 1,300 people were living with undiagnosed HIV in 2021, which is just over a quarter of the estimated number of people in the UK who are not aware they have the virus (4,400). Routine screening aims to save lives by reducing the number of cases of undiagnosed HIV.
HIV is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease. Symptoms may not be obvious and at the beginning there could be none at all. The only way to diagnose HIV is a simple blood test.
Daryl Desmond, Consultant Nurse in Physical Health at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, said: “Opt-out HIV testing is an effective way to reach people who may not come into contact with other HIV testing opportunities, for example by visiting their GP or local Emergency Department.
“Providing HIV screening at Lotus will offer our patients the chance to check on their health without an additional trip elsewhere. If someone tests positive, we can help them to get the care and treatment they need to live long healthy lives.”
The introduction of HIV testing at the Lotus Assessment Suite, an assessment unit for people experiencing a mental health crisis, is a joint initiative between teams at Springfield Hospital and HIV specialists at St George’s Hospital. Blood tests taken at Lotus will be sent to St George’s laboratory for testing where diabetes and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) will also be checked for.
Lisa Hamzah, HIV Consultant at St George’s Hospital, said: “We’re proud to be supporting the roll-out of HIV testing at Springfield Hospital. An opt-out approach is the best way to make sure the huge benefits of HIV testing reach as many people as possible.
“Between 2018 and 2022, we diagnosed 61 people following a test in our Emergency Department at St George’s, many of whom had not considered themselves at risk. They are now receiving the care they need. With an early diagnosis and effective treatment, people with HIV will not develop any HIV-related illnesses or transmit the virus to others.”
