A&E patient tests for HIV a success, says NHS trust

HIV and hepatitis tests are offered to all adults who need blood tests in two hospitals' emergency departments

A research project to test patients in hospitals' emergency departments for blood-borne viruses including HIV has helped 183 patients get support, an NHS trust said.

Opt-out tests were introduced at Kettering General Hospital (KGH) and Northampton General Hospital (NGH) towards the end of last year.

Dr Ajay Verma, the director of research and innovation at University Hospitals Northamptonshire, said: "The expansion of routine testing for HIV and hepatitis in our emergency departments is enabling more patients to be identified and treated for these conditions as early as possible."

The opt-out research testing was due to last a year but has now been funded for a further year.

The study at the two hospitals is an opt-out screening programme which means all patients attending hospital emergency departments aged over18 - who needed a blood test - have received screening unless they have asked to opt-out.

The tests were introduced at Kettering General Hospital's emergency department in November last year

The scheme has so far helped identify 25 new patients with HIV in the county, 69 with blood-borne viral Hepatitis B, and 89 with blood-borne viral Hepatitis C.

The testing is part of a national study by the National Institute for Health and Care Research being carried out at 34 hospital sites across the country.

In Northamptonshire the research was a collaboration between the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (KGH and NGH) and Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT).

Dr Sophie Herbert, a consultant with NHFT's sexual health services, said: "The research is showing that opt-out testing in emergency departments is proving to be effective both in identifying, and then helping us to provide care, to people with blood-borne viral infections such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C.

"Many of these patients were unaware of their diagnosis or had become disengaged with care and have now been able to re-engage to get the treatment they need."

Northamptonshire was chosen as part of the research because the county has a high prevalence of HIV, with two cases per 1,000 people in north Northamptonshire and 2.5 per 1,000 in the west Northamptonshire area.