Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to provide effective HIV (a) testing, (b) treatment and (c) counselling services for the black community.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 2013, the Government has mandated local authorities in England to commission comprehensive open access to most sexual health services, including free and confidential HIV testing, and provision of the HIV prevention drug PrEP through the Public Health Grant, funded at £3.4 billion overall in 2022-23. It is for individual local authorities to decide their spending priorities based on an assessment of local need and to commission the service lines that best suit their population.
NHS England are responsible for providing HIV treatment and care, which continues to have very high coverage and effectiveness across England. In 2022, among those with known treatment status, 98% received treatment, and 98% of those treated were virally suppressed.
The Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living with HIV including within the black community. As part of the Government’s HIV Action Plan, a Workforce Task and Finish group was established in 2023, which will explore innovative ways for the workforce to provide better support to people of all demographics, including mental health support. They will present their recommendations to the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group, who will agree how the advice will be taken forward.
As set out in the NHS England Roadmap, specialised HIV inpatient and outpatient services have been identified as key areas for greater integrated care systems (ICS) leadership by NHS England and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). This will allow local systems to simplify and strengthen HIV care pathways with other services through effective local partnerships, including psychosocial support and mental health and counselling services, for a more holistic approach to care.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the availability of (a) education, (b) employment and (c) housing for the black community on rates of HIV transmission within that community.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of the availability of education, employment and housing for the black community on rates of HIV transmission within that community.
Statutory guidance on relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education is the responsibility of the Department for Education. This ensures that pupils understand transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and that they understand how and where to access confidential sexual and reproductive health advice and treatment, amongst other key issues.
The HIV Action Plan is the cornerstone of our approach in England to drive forward progress and achieve our goal to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030. A key principle of our approach is to ensure that all populations benefit equally from improvements made in HIV outcomes.
As part of the Plan, the Department has committed £3.5 million to fund a national HIV prevention programme for England, HIV Prevention England (HPE). The programme aims to support communities who are disproportionately affected by HIV, with a particular focus on Black African communities, delivering a nationally co-ordinated programme of HIV prevention work that is designed to complement locally commissioned prevention activities in areas with high HIV prevalence.
NHSE England is also investing £33 million to fund and roll out the blood-borne virus emergency department (BBV ED) opt-out testing programme covering the 21 local authorities with the highest HIV prevalence. Findings published by UKHSA show that the programme has been particularly successful in engaging harder to reach groups, such as older people, women, people from non-white British backgrounds, and people living in the most deprived areas.
Local authorities are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access sexual health services to meet local demand and individual local authorities decide on spending priorities based on an assessment of local need for sexual health services, including HIV prevention and testing. We are providing more than £3.5 billion this financial year to local authorities through the Public Health Grant to fund public health services, including sexual health services, increasing to £3.575 billion in 2024/25.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to collaborate with (a) community leaders, (b) faith-based organizations and (c) grassroots initiatives to (i) facilitate open conversations, (ii) reduce stigma and (iii) encourage testing about HIV.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
HIV Prevention England (HPE) is the national HIV prevention programme for England and is funded at £3.5 million over three years by the Department, as part of the Government’s HIV Action Plan (HIVAP).
The programme aims to support communities who are disproportionately affected by HIV, in particular gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men and Black African heterosexual men and women. The Department has appointed Terrence Higgins Trust, a national charity who provide services related to sexual heath and HIV, to deliver the programme from 2021-2024. HPE delivers a nationally co-ordinated programme of HIV prevention work, including public campaigns such as National HIV Testing Week, that is designed to complement locally commissioned prevention activities in areas of high HIV prevalence. HPE also aims to improve knowledge and understanding of HIV transmission and reduce stigma within affected communities.
As part of the HIV Action Plan, we established a community advisory group (CAG) comprised by voluntary and community sector representatives who provide a forum to further enable strengthened partnerships and joint working to help meet the goals, objectives and actions in the HIVAP. They will also provide the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group (ISG) with advice and expertise on its direction, approach, and outputs in regard to achieving the ambitions set out within the HIVAP. The ISG will consider the advice and, if needed, take appropriate action to ensure we meet our Action Plan’s objectives. Members of the CAG can be found at the following link:
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to create tailored HIV awareness campaigns for the black community.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
HIV Prevention England (HPE) is the national HIV prevention programme for England and is funded with £3.5 million over three years by the Department of Health and Social Care, as part of the Government’s HIV Action Plan.
The programme aims to support communities who are disproportionately affected by HIV, in particular gay people, bisexual people and men who have sex with men and Black African heterosexual men and women. The Department has appointed Terrence Higgins Trust, a national charity who provide services related to sexual heath and HIV, to deliver the programme from 2021-2024. HPE delivers a nationally co-ordinated programme of HIV prevention work, including public campaigns such as National HIV Testing Week, that is designed to complement locally commissioned prevention activities in areas of high HIV prevalence. HPE also aims to improve knowledge and understanding of HIV transmission and reduce stigma within affected communities.
HPE work with a wide range of models and their network of influencers and develops its strategies based on comprehensive data, audience insight and knowledge from local partners within England, which ensure a wide range of patient voices and experiences are represented, including those within the black community. Campaigns are promoted using a multi-channel approach including specialist channels relevant to the audiences and targeting via digital platforms and social media.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that specialties such as HIV and sexual health with tariffs are reimbursed within the Integrated care systems framework.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Where delivered by secondary healthcare providers, reimbursement of activities in specialties such as HIV and sexual health is subject to the NHS Payment Scheme rules, which is designed to support the delivery of more and better healthcare within the level of funding available. These services are funded through allocations to commissioners who agree contract values with providers who undertake the activity.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that areas of higher deprivation receive adequate support through the Integrated care systems so that they can continue to deliver preexisting HIV services.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services are open access and any adults with a diagnosis of HIV can self-refer, regardless of United Kingdom address. Any service diagnosing HIV in adults can refer to any specialised HIV service provider. This facilitates equitable access to care.
As set out in the NHS England Roadmap, specialised HIV inpatient and outpatient services have been identified as key areas for greater integrated care systems leadership by NHS England and integrated care boards (ICBs). Integrating the commissioning of HIV treatment services with ICBs, will allow local systems to simplify and strengthen HIV care pathways with other services through effective local partnerships, including in areas of higher deprivation.
The national Service Specification for Adult HIV services is also currently under review by NHS England. The Specification Working Group will ensure that the revised specification reflects any changes in practice since 2013, ensures close working with other relevant services, and is fit for purpose in the new commissioning landscape regardless of the level of deprivation in an area.
As part of the Government’s HIV Action Plan, a retention and re-engagement in care task and finish group was established in 2023. This group will provide advice on increasing the number of people retained and re-engaged in care and receiving effective medical care.
They will present their recommendations to the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group in due course, who will agree how the advice will be taken forward.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to ensure integrated care systems deliver HIV healthcare programmes.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services are open access and any adults with a diagnosis of HIV can self-refer, regardless of United Kingdom address. Any service diagnosing HIV in adults can refer to any specialised HIV service provider. This facilitates equitable access to care.
As set out in the NHS England Roadmap, specialised HIV inpatient and outpatient services have been identified as key areas for greater integrated care systems leadership by NHS England and integrated care boards (ICBs). Integrating the commissioning of HIV treatment services with ICBs, will allow local systems to simplify and strengthen HIV care pathways with other services through effective local partnerships, including in areas of higher deprivation.
The national Service Specification for Adult HIV services is also currently under review by NHS England. The Specification Working Group will ensure that the revised specification reflects any changes in practice since 2013, ensures close working with other relevant services, and is fit for purpose in the new commissioning landscape regardless of the level of deprivation in an area.
As part of the Government’s HIV Action Plan, a retention and re-engagement in care task and finish group was established in 2023. This group will provide advice on increasing the number of people retained and re-engaged in care and receiving effective medical care.
They will present their recommendations to the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group in due course, who will agree how the advice will be taken forward.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to introduce a sexual health strategy; and ensure adequate funding is in place to help reduce sexually transmitted infections.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We are committed to improving sexual heath in England and have published our HIV Action Plan in 2021 which sets out our ambitions and actions to achieve no new HIV transmission in England by 2030. Great progress has been made during the first year of its implementation, as set out by the annual report to Parliament published on 7 June, and we are considering the next steps needed to continue improving the sexual health of the whole population.
As part of this plan, we are investing more than £3.5 million from 2021 to 2024 to deliver the National HIV Prevention Programme for England, including National HIV Testing Week and other campaigns to improve information and testing for HIV and other STIs.
Sexual health services (SHSs) play a key public health role in diagnosis, early treatment and management of STIs and we are providing more than £3.5 billion to local authorities through the public health grant to fund public health services, including SHSs, in this financial year. Individual local authorities are responsible for and well placed to make funding and commissioning decisions about the SHSs that best meet the needs of their local populations.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce HIV transmissions in rural and coastal areas.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Local authorities in England are responsible for commissioning open access sexual and reproductive health services, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, through the Public Health Grant, funded at £3.5 billion in 2023/24. It is for individual local authorities to decide their spending priorities based on an assessment of local need and to commission the service lines that best suit their population.
As part of the Government’s HIV Action Plan, a low prevalence area task and finish group was established in 2023. This group will provide evidence on HIV control strategies in low prevalence areas, including understanding the impact of rurality on systems and patients. They will present their recommendations to the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group, who will agree how the advice will be taken forward.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis action plan.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
As part of our HIV Action Plan implementation, we are working together with key stakeholders to improve access to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention drug pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for key population groups. The HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group is working to develop a roadmap, based on the PrEP Access and Equity Task and Finish group’s recommendations, to help guide our efforts to improve equitable access to PrEP for key populations, including in settings other than specialist sexual health services.