The final standards for HIV services and the accompanying self-evaluation tool are now available to download.
The standards were developed following a 12-week consultation period, details of which can be found within the standards introduction. All comments received throughout the consultation period were collated and presented to the project group and subgroups during the finalisation meetings. A summary of the consultation comments, along with the decisions made during the finalisation phase has been provided within the Consultation Summary Report for the Draft HIV Standards.
Building on our previous work on long term conditions, the HIV standards aim to improve the quality and coordination of HIV care, focusing on the following key areas:
- Service organisation
- Prevention
- Recognition and diagnosis
- Treatment and care
- Self-evaluation tool
Although we are committed to assessing, measuring and reporting on HIV service providers’ performance, there is a shift towards a risk-based and proportionate approach to scrutiny, working towards lessening the burden of review on NHS boards and will also endeavour to support NHS boards as they undertake work to improve the quality of their HIV services.
We developed the self-evaluation tool for local use and by completing the tool, NHS boards will have a better understanding of their HIV services and be able to:
- determine if the standards have been met and identify the relevant supporting evidence
- highlight areas of good practice, and
- highlight areas of the service for review and implement an action plan for improvement.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland has not set out exact timescales for completion of the self-evaluation tool. However, NHS boards can use the self-evaluation tool to help gain an understanding of how their HIV service meets the standards.
Next steps – HIV Implementation and Improvement Programme
The standards and self-evaluation tool form part of a wider implementation and improvement programme. This programme will include the development of a complimentary suite of high level measures to reflect the outcomes that should be realised by NHS boards when implementing the standards.
It is envisaged that relevant stakeholders involved in the delivery of HIV services will be brought together to identify those areas within the standards that will benefit from national support to implement them and demonstrate ongoing improvement of HIV services in future.
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