Ensuring that everyone living with HIV is tested and supported appropriately following a new diagnosis is essential. The UK Government has committed to ending new HIV transmissions by 2030, and the Opt-Out testing programme for blood borne viruses has been a flagship initiative towards achieving this.
This means that when adults have their blood taken and tested in an ED, it is also tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, unless they ask for it not to be. In 2025/26 an additional 10% of the funding from NHS England for ED HIV testing was allocated to ICBs to commission post-diagnosis HIV peer support to those diagnosed with HIV as a result of this programme.
As the programme has rolled out and expanded across England over subsequent years we wanted to ensure that it was being implemented properly and that the full breadth of the services provided for in the funding were being made available for people living with HIV.
The Freedom of Information (FOI) request was intended to gather relevant data to be able to share with stakeholders and partners to contribute to effective oversight of the programme and insight on the provision of post-diagnosis peer support.