A new pilot has launched at Brigstock Medical Practice, South West London, on 14 July 2025.
This pilot offers opt-out testing for blood-borne viruses (BBV) – HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C – to all registered patients over the age of 18. It builds on the success of opt-out testing in emergency departments (A&E).
Transformation Partners in Health and Care were commissioned by NHS England National Hepatitis C Elimination Programme to deliver a Hep C pilot project. It will raise awareness, address stigma and improve access to Hep C testing and treatment for marginalised populations through primary care in a collaborative and sustainable way.
The project is led by the Clinical Lead for Hepatitis C in Health Inequalities & Inclusion Health, Dr Binta Sultan and Project Manager Jess Notridge.
The project aims to collaborate with two practices situated in areas with a high index of deprivation. These practices include:
- specialist homeless practice Health E1 in North East London
- non-specialist practice Brigstock Medical Practice in South West London
Health E1, North East London
The first pilot at Health E1, offered an integrated BBV testing and health screening service – through a drop-in lived experience led clinic. It also offered harm minimisation interventions, wound care, liver health screening, peer support and involved active outreach to street populations.
Read more on the Transformation Partners website
Brigstock Medical Practice, South West London
With support from South West London Integrated Care Board, local clinical teams and partnered peer-advocacy organisations, this innovative pilot at Brigstock Medical Practice aims to enhance BBV testing and care pathways to improve patient engagement and follow-up.
Learning from this pilot will be invaluable in understanding how to scale up opt-out BBV testing and the management of BBVs in primary care in England, and in understanding the return on investment.
A full evaluation will be carried out at the end of the pilot. To find out more information about the project, please contact Jess.notridge@nhs.net