Despite the UK having some of the best HIV treatment outcomes in the world, there are still many barriers to people living with HIV having a good health related quality of life (HRQoL).
There are glaring disparities in progress on HIV prevention and treatment outcomes between different groups. Certain groups are more likely to be diagnosed late, not be in HIV care and experience worse health outcomes. And with 50% people living with HIV in the UK now over 50, health services must be better equipped to support people ageing with HIV.
Responding to these challenges and to support efforts to eliminate HIV transmissions in the UK by 2030, HIV Outcomes UK was established in 2023. We are working to make sure that HRQoL is a priority in UK-wide policy making on HIV.
Working in partnerships, we are delivering policy projects focused on:
Tackling stigma as a barrier to care: Working to ensure that health and social care services are stigma-free and sensitive to the needs of people living with HIV.
Driving better HIV care engagement, integration and coordination: Working to ensure that all people living with HIV in the UK have access to high quality, open access, equitable and stigma free HIV care that meets their needs as individuals.
Better meeting the mental health needs of people living with HIV: Working to ensure that all people living with HIV have access to appropriate mental health care that is stigma free and support that meets their needs.
Improving approaches to information, data and confidentiality in the NHS: Working to ensure that people living with HIV have access to more integrated care and benefit from good information flows and are also confident that they understand how their data is shared, feel in control and not at risk of experiencing stigma.
National AIDS Trust is proud to act as the secretariat for HIV Outcomes UK. HIV Outcomes UK is funded by Gilead Sciences and ViiV Healthcare as co-sponsors. The group is affiliated with HIV Outcomes at a European level.
For further information and partnership with HIV Outcomes, please contact James Cole on james.cole@nat.org.uk.