Dry blood spot testing for HIV and syphilis in Greater Manchester

SSHA CONFERENCE 2013

Summary

RU Clear? , undertook a 2 phased pilot offering home sampling for HIV and syphilis to Greater Manchester residents using dry blood spot testing in 2012 and 2013. The pilot aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of offering this method for home sampling as part of a remote screening postal service.

The pilot was initially funded by a grant from The Gilead Foundation and supported by the Health Promotion Agency, NHS Manchester and Manchester Medical Microbiology Partnership.

Pilot 1 ran for 12 months and was available to all Greater Manchester residents over the age of 16.

Requests were made via www.ruclear.co.uk and requesters were able to triage their own risk by completing an online pro forma. Anyone identifying themselves to be at ‘higher risk’ or who had questions regarding the screen was offered the opportunity to speak to a clinician.

There was no requirement to speak to a clinician or to undertake a pre-test discussion as part of the request process.

Pilot 2 was a targeted at MSM and anyone identifying their self as being at ‘higher risk’. This was offered for a 6 month period only and additionally supported by the Lesbian and Gay Foundation.

All reactive results were fast tracked to local Tier 3 Sexual Health providers for confirmatory bloods and follow up

David Freeman Powell (Greater Manchester Chlamydia Screening Coordinator)

David was originally a Mental Health Nurse and has worked in Sexual Health for the past 14 years as a Sexual Health Advisor and latterly as a Nurse Practitioner.

He is currently employed as Screening Coordinator for RU Clear? and works across Manchester, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford.

RU Clear? is part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme and manages Chlamydia and gonorrhoea screening on behalf of the 10 Local Authorities in Greater Manchester.

He has recently completed the Sexual Health Advising module at Staffordshire University and is continuing with a BSC in Contemporary Healthcare at ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity in 2013/14.