Diana-backed London HIV hospital set to close due to funding cut

A hospital specialising in HIV care made famous from numerous visits by Diana, Princess of Wales, is set to close due to funding cuts, bosses said.

Mildmay Mission Hospital is the only institution of its kind in the UK but is dependent on money from the NHS's Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

Hospital bosses said referrals to the east London centre had been "blocked" by the CCGs to force it to close.

The NHS said better treatment had meant there was a "reduced demand for care".

The hospital, which is a charity, was first set up 153 years ago and has about 65 staff and at least 40 volunteers.

The visits are thought to have helped break the stigma around the illness

It has specialised in providing care for people suffering from HIV-related illnesses for 35 years and is the only hospital in the UK of its kind.

Princess Diana visited the hospital 17 times where she met patients and staff and those visits are thought to have helped break the stigma around the illness.

Being a charity, the majority of Mildmay's funding comes when patients are referred to it.

Mildmay's chief executive Geoff Coleman said the CCGs had "blocked" referrals even though there are "doctors across London who want to send patients to us".

He said the CCGs considered the hospital to be "costly on a patient-by-patient basis" but believes the loss of Mildmay would actually increase costs for the NHS as "patients will spend longer in an acute bed".

Prince Harry also visited the hospital in 2015

The number of people diagnosed with HIV in the UK has dropped substantially in recent years but doctors at the hospital also believe "there are still a reasonable number of new diagnoses".

"Having a team who are experts at getting people better and back towards normal living is very important," medical director Simon Rackstraw said.

In a statement, the NHS said referrals "are made in line with agreed clinical criteria" and "significant improvements in treatment, medication and access to community health services, has seen a reduced demand for inpatient care".

It added it was "working with Mildmay's staff to meet the needs of any patients affected by the closure".