Sammy Wilson MP's comment on HIV - National AIDS Trust response
Sammy Wilson MP's comment on HIV - National AIDS Trust response
Publication date
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Deborah Gold, Chief Executive, NAT (National AIDS Trust), said:
Deborah Gold, Chief Executive, NAT (National AIDS Trust), said:
On World AIDS Day (1 December) the National AIDS Trust (NAT) is releasing a call-to-action on how the needs of people living with HIV should be met by the changing NHS in England.1
The Five Year Forward View and Sustainability Transformation Plans are setting an agenda for a new approach to supporting people with long-term conditions in England. NHS England have promised a greater emphasis on person-centred care and more joined-up services, both of which would be welcomed by people living with HIV.
Video messages from the leaders of the Conservative Party, Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrats have been released online by NAT (National AIDS Trust) to mark World AIDS Day (1 December 2016). Each of the speeches addresses the widespread problem of HIV stigma in the UK.
After the PrEP win in the Court of Appeal last week, NAT and PrEPster warmly welcome the continued support from Elton John AIDS Foundation, including a new grant of over £100,000 to support policy work, advocacy and community building to help ensure that PrEP is available as soon as possible to all those who need it.
Final PrEP HIV drug case win for National AIDS Trust at Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the NAT (National AIDS Trust) in a judgment that confirms an earlier high court judgment that NHS England can legally fund the HIV prevention drug PrEP. This decision means that NHS England is obliged to give due consideration to commissioning PrEP.
Supporting the initial High Court judgment, this outcome means that NHS England will need to reveal its decision on whether PrEP will be recommended for funding.
Responding to the announcement of a Green Paper on how the Government will support people with disabilities and long-term conditions to enter and remain in employment, Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of the National AIDS Trust, said:
“A significant minority of people living with HIV are unable to work because of their health. For others, who feel well enough to work, the major barriers to employment are the stigmatising and sometimes discriminatory attitudes they face in the job market.
New report shows men seeking out new HIV prevention despite government resistance.
A new report, PrEP Access in Europe, by the PrEP in Europe Initiative, a coalition of leading HIV organisations, calls on European governments and health authorities to make PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) available to populations at imminent risk of HIV as a matter of urgency.
Today Public Health England has released new data on diagnoses of HIV in 2015. The data shows that rates of HIV diagnosis remain stubborn at over 6,000 per year.
In response to the new data Yusef Azad, Director of Strategy at NAT, said, “This shows just how inadequate our current HIV prevention efforts are in the UK. We are as a nation sitting back and allowing the HIV epidemic to get worse.
NHS England is appealing the ruling that said they unlawfully cut PrEP, the drug which prevents HIV aquisition, from their commissioning process. Following NAT’s (National AIDS Trust) case for judicial review of NHS England’s position on PrEP, Justice Green passed down the judgment on 2 August 2016. The appeal will be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday 15 September at 10.30am.