Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to provide targeted funding to HIV voluntary sector organisations to support people living with HIV who have disengaged from care.

The Government is committed to ending new transmissions of HIV in England by 2030 and is developing the new HIV Action Plan, which we aim to publish this year. The plan will address ways to improve retention and re-engagement in care.

The Government’s successful HIV emergency department opt-out testing programme helps people to re-engage with HIV care. In addition, 10% of the funding allocated to each site is recommended to be used for HIV voluntary sector organisations, to support people living with HIV who have disengaged from care.

NHS England is responsible for delivering HIV care, and in April 2024, it published the updated national Service Specification for Adult HIV services, which requires services to have a policy describing how they aim to ensure retention in care and re-engage those lost to care. NHS England will continue to work with stakeholders to consider what further actions can be taken to address retention and re-engagement in care.