Case study:
North East London
The GPs in North East London ICB area are working on a project trialling a local service with proactive management in primary care for people living with HIV. This has been funded by Fast-Track Cities London.
The service will identify people living with HIV in a practice and ensure their care meets the standard of care set out by the British HIV Association (BHIVA).
GP Champions:
Dr James Stevenson
Dr Daniel Gibney
Dr Benjamin John
Supporting clinician:
Dr Aneesha Noonan
Pilot Aims
The North East London team are working towards tackling local challenges:
- North east London has a population of over 2 million, the team’s efforts targeted all patient groups, low to high-risk including people living with HIV.
- Some of the issues faced within the area were, budget cuts, difficulty accessing services, stable stigma and coordinating meetings with multiple professionals.
Work completed so far
- To tackle stigma and improve HIV awareness the team delivered educational training sessions in each borough supported by Fast-Track Cities HIV Ambassadors from the Terrence Higgins Trust targeting the wider primary care multi-disciplinary team including GPs, GP trainees, Physician Associates, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Healthcare Assistants, Clinical Pharmacists, other allied healthcare professionals and receptionists.
- They have engaged with Barts Hospital on their data sharing arrangements to support increased communication from HIV clinicians to primary care and Barts have committed to re-assessing consent for data-sharing to support increased disclosures to GP practices.
They have also created and shared resources to enable HIV clinicians to explain options of diagnosis-sharing for those hesitant to share their status such as restricted notes or diagnosis.
Efforts were made to engage with a variety of stakeholders within the ICB area and secondary care and raising the profile of HIV screening such as within ear nose and throat and cancer services. - The GPs developed links with HIV charities such as Positive East and filmed educational content for social media, and they hosted a “How to get the most out of your GP” engagement event for World AIDS Day.
- They have carried out several outreach testing events with Positive East in each borough and in the Home Office contracted asylum Sseking hostel in Whitechapel.
- The team was awarded funding which will be used for the delivery of the HIV Shared Care Pilot launching in City and Hackney by the GPs. (More data to follow)
- Collaboration with local sexual health commissioners including engagement on the 5-year NEL Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy which is Priority 4: HIV – towards zero and living well with HIV.
Impact
Testing data:
- Total number of HIV tests increased from 24,289 in 2023 to 31,858 in 2024 (31%+); 11% increase in Tower Hamlets, 64% in City and Hackney and 24% in Newham.
- Targeted training of practices in Newham saw a 1%-33% increase in testing numbers between Q2 and Q3.
- City and Hackney saw a 56% increase in statin prescriptions compared to 2023 for people living with HIV and over 40 years old.
- They have managed to include a question around HIV testing into the NEL online GP registration forms which will ensure that all new patients are offered an HIV test.
Testimonials
“I didn’t know that about HIV”
“I didn’t think to test for that group”
“I will be annoying all the partners now about testing for HIV!”
Feedback from a training session delivered in Tower Hamlets in August:
- Personal stories and lived experience: Many participants appreciated hearing testimonies and stories from individuals with lived experiences of HIV, including volunteers and ambassadors from organisations such as Terrence Higgins Trust and Positive East.
- Diversity of speakers: The variety of speakers, including clinical staff, patient champions, and individuals sharing personal experiences, was highlighted as a positive aspect of the session.
- Content and topics: Participants found the topics covered, such as services, resources, and new developments like injectable ART (Antiretroviral Therapy), valuable and informative.
- Overall excellence: One respondent expressed that everything in the session was excellent. In summary, the mix of professional insights and personal stories from individuals affected by HIV was the most appreciated aspect of the session.
Evaluation and data
The GP champion programme is being evaluated by Kings College London, and we will be presenting the pilot data in the summer of 2025.
If you would like any further information, please contact the Fast-Track Cities London programme team at rf-tr.londonftci@nhs.net.
