Dear members, Thank you for taking part in this consultation led by the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) team at Public Health England. We would welcome your views if your service is involved in any testing for chlamydia regardless of whether or not this is part of NCSP screening (i.e. either as screening or for clinical diagnosis). Presently, there are two … [Read more...]
Every missed HIV diagnosis is a failure of care
Letter from Professor Chloe Orkin, chair of the British HIV Association (BHIVA) Every HIV diagnosis that is overlooked or missed by any doctor is a failure of clinical care. People whose HIV is diagnosed late have frequently been seen by a doctor prior to their diagnosis without an HIV test being offered. Nobody dies from being offended Nobody dies from being offended, but … [Read more...]
NHS England has power to fund Prep HIV drug, court decides
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the NHS in England has the power to fund a drug which prevents HIV infection in people at high risk of the virus. NHS England had previously said that local authorities should provide the pre-exposure prophylaxis drug - known as Prep - because they are responsible for preventative health. But the court insisted this fell within the remit … [Read more...]
A&E’s routine HIV testing has helped identify dozens living undiagnosed
A London hospital that introduced routine HIV screening for emergency patients has helped diagnose dozens of people who were unaware they were living with HIV. Since July 2015, patients over the age of 16 who are already undergoing blood tests at St Thomas’ Hospital A&E are tested for HIV at the same time, unless they chose to opt out. During the first year of the … [Read more...]
Could mouthwash combat gonorrhoea?
By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online 23 August 2016 Article Link "A gargle a day keeps gonorrhoea away" is an unlikely slogan, but researchers believe it could hold some truth. Recent studies have shown people can carry the sexually transmitted infection in their throats for weeks or months without symptoms. And they could spread it to others through … [Read more...]