PATIENTS at A&E at a Sussex hospital will now be screened for HIV when having routine blood tests.

The pilot scheme at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton will help diagnose people at an earlier stage of the virus, improving the health of the affected person and reducing transmission, by getting people onto treatment sooner.

People whose HIV is undiagnosed are more likely to become seriously ill from the virus and can also pass on HIV to other people while they are unaware of their condition.

It is estimated there are 110 people living with undiagnosed HIV in Brighton and Hove, with 50 per cent of diagnoses by the hospital’s HIV team last year being late diagnoses.

Dr Charlotte Hopkins, chief medical officer at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Testing for HIV can save lives. People with HIV can live long and healthy lives if they are diagnosed early.

“Unfortunately, many people do not realise they have been at risk, which is why it is important to test as many people as possible.

“People who are HIV positive can access treatment and prevent transmission of HIV to others.

“Since introducing this new approach to testing, some trusts have reported a decrease in the number of people with HIV being admitted to their hospitals. They believe this is because people are getting the treatment they need before they become acutely unwell.”

The new approach in HIV screening came into effect from Wednesday and is in line with national guidelines for all areas classed as having HIV prevalence.

Patients do not have to be screened for the virus; they can choose to opt out by speaking to the clinician in the emergency department.

Routine HIV screening is safe and reliable and has been successfully implemented in other emergency departments across London where HIV is more prevalent.

Since routine screening for HIV was introduced at Croydon Hospital, there have been no HIV patients in the hospital’s ICU.

Screening at the Royal Sussex County Hospital will look for the presence of antibodies in the blood that may indicate whether or not a person is living with HIV, with people told within two weeks if they have a reactive result.

If a test suggests that a person is living with HIV, the hospital will contact them directly by phone and a second test will be arranged to confirm the result.

The hospital boasts a HIV specialist team, including doctors, nurses, health advisors, psychologists and people living with HIV, who will be able to provide extensive support and advice.

Results are held within the HIV service within the hospital and are completely confidential.

The pilot, alongside the world-first initiative ‘HIV Testing in the Community’, is part of a drive by the Trust and Brighton and Hove City Council to reach the global target for zero new HIV infections and an end to HIV discrimination by 2030.