Vaccination News Home Page

http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7351/1416/g

Email this article to a friend Respond to this article Download to Citation Manager Search Medline for articles by: Carlowe, J. Alert me when: New articles cite this article

Collections under which this article appears: HIV Infection/AIDS

BMJ 2002;324:1416 ( 15 June )
 

News extra

Specialists attack government for not prioritising HIV

Jo Carlowe London

A report into the care of patients with HIV infection in the United Kingdom has shown an upturn in the number of patients, with specialist clinics stretched to breaking point. In addition, experts have lambasted the government for failing to prioritise the disease, warning of an impending public health crisis.

The report, produced jointly by the Terrence Higgins Trust and the British HIV Association, reported an average of 25 patients per HIV clinician. It quoted the Public Health Laboratory Service's figures estimating that more than 33 000 people are living with HIV infection in the United Kingdom and that new diagnoses have nearly doubled, from 2638 in 1995 to 4157 for 2001.

The rise in HIV infection has had the knock-on effect of increasing waiting times for patients seeking treatment for other sexually transmitted diseases, with some 26% waiting 8-14 days to be seen and 2% waiting one to three months.

The report, which canvassed the views of HIV specialists on the government’s national strategy for sexual health and HIV, also found a lack of enthusiasm for the government’s plan to resolve the crisis by increasing involvement of general practices in HIV care.

The specialists who were questioned supported the concept of increased testing and diagnosis in general practices but described primary care as inappropriate for the management of HIV and viewed the government’s strategy on sexual health and HIV (launched last July) as a wasted opportunity.

"HIV needs a strategy of its own. HIV management is very complicated and not appropriate for GPs," said the association’s secretary, Dr Margaret Johnson.

She called for more clarity from the government about the role of primary care trusts (PCTs) in HIV services. "We don’t really know what PCTs intend to do about HIV. Will we be expected to negotiate with between 100 and 200 PCTs to sort out care?"

Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terrence Higgins Trust, warned of a "a public health crisis" due to the government’s "failure" to prioritise HIV.

"Because HIV has not been made into a national service framework, it is not a priority for PCT managers. PCTs have neither the funds, the expertise, or any sense of impetus around HIV. We know of PCTs that are moving funds away from HIV because it is not ringfenced," she said.

The government was due to release its implementation action plan for its sexual health and HIV strategy later this month. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health explained: "It is currently being finalised and will be published shortly."

Professor Brian Gazzard, clinical research director of HIV and genitourinary medicine at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and chairman of the British HIV Association, said: "The only solution to this problem [overloaded HIV services] is the provision of more money and facilities to manage these people in an optimum way. Just increasing the already heavy burden on primary care facilities does not seem to me to be a way forward which is likely to be fruitful."

Treatment Options in Primary Care for Patients With HIV: The Specialists' View is available from PatientView, 18-22 Finchley Road, London NW8 6EB (tel 020 7586 0747).
 
 

Email this article to a friend Respond to this article Download to Citation Manager Search Medline for articles by: Carlowe, J. Alert me when: New articles cite this article

Collections under which this article appears: HIV Infection/AIDS

Vaccination News Home Page

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.