Nicola asked the Prime Minister to roll out opt-out HIV testing to areas with a high prevalence of HIV during Prime Minister’s Questions today, Wednesday 13th September.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Nicola praised the Government on putting the country in a position to be the first in the world to end new cases of HIV by 2030. She referred to the opt-out HIV testing programme as a leading factor in the progress made to identify cases of HIV so people can start treatment.
The Prime Minister thanked Nicola for her campaigning in this area, before reaffirming the Government’s commitment to end new cases of HIV. He added: “I’m pleased that she highlighted that the provisional data from NHS England indicates that the opt-out testing programme has been highly successful.”
Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, Nicola said: “I am grateful to the Prime Minister for confirming that we remain committed to ending new cases of HIV in this country by 2030.
“Thanks to the incredible work carried out by the Terrence Higgins Trust, we already know that opt-out testing saves lives and saves money by preventing people from becoming seriously unwell. In fact, more than 3000 people have been diagnosed with HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in 16 months alone.
“It was just a few months ago that I met with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and campaigners at a roundtable to discuss HIV in our region. There we heard of the tragic cases of people in their 30s being diagnosed with dementia as a result of HIV related illnesses.
“In 2023, this should not be happening. We have all the tools and the knowledge to stop the spread of HIV, we just have to get on and do it. Extending opt-out testing is the crucial first step on that journey.”
Richard Angell, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “We’re very grateful to Nicola Richards MP for highlighting the remarkable success of opt-out HIV testing at Prime Minister’s Questions.
“The expansion of A&E HIV and hepatitis testing in constituencies like West Bromwich East is fundamental to reaching our life-changing goal of ending new HIV cases by 2030. In just 16 months, more than 3,000 people have been found with HIV, hep B and hep C in London, Manchester, Brighton and Blackpool alone. These results are above and beyond what anyone expected and have demonstrated an incredible return on investment.
“The government’s own guidance says it should be happening in Birmingham, Coventry, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton and cities like them. Every day that passes, we miss opportunities to find more people with blood bourne viruses. They cannot afford for there to be further delay – the government must fund opt-out HIV testing for high prevalence areas now.”
You can watch Nicola's question on her Facebook page.