Below is a brief overview of some of the major projects we are currently working on.  If you would like to provide information about any of these areas or if there are other issues that you think we should be working on please let us know.

HIV drugs budgets

In April 2011 it was announced that there would be a new approach to how HIV drugs would be commissioned for London clinics, with the aim of maintaining clinical standards of care whilst reducing costs.  This means that patients who are beginning treatment for the first time will be prescribed a standard combination of drugs, and some existing patients may be recommended to switch the drugs that they are on, where appropriate.

NAT issued a Statement outlining areas of concern with this arrangement, and received a response from the London HIV Specialised Commissioning Group, with some reassurance.  We are now monitoring the impact of the change, and are encouraging anyone in London who has been affected by the new approach to HIV drugs prescribing to participate in an anonymous survey hosted by UKCAB.

We are also preparing a simple guide to how HIV drugs budgets are decided and allocated, and developing a set of guiding principles for commissioners to ensure that any future decisions around prescribing will be ethical and do not leave any patients worse off.

 
Policy Lead - Yusef Azad

HIV information on popular websites

NAT's 2011 Ipsos MORI poll showed a worrying, and growing, gap in knowledge about HIV amongst the UK public, as well as an increase in myths and misinformation about the virus. On top of this, a recent Information Standard survey found that more than 8 in 10 young people in the UK rely on the internet for information on sexual health. NAT feel that this underscores the urgent need for leading providers of online sexual health materials, particularly those aimed at young people, to ensure information provided is clear, concise and accurate. Subsequently we have conducted a review of the HIV content contained on a number of popular sex education websites, including those aimed at young people. We are currently in the process of writing to these websites to make them aware of any errors or omissions contained in their content, looking to secure improvements and offering to work together in the future to improve the standard of HIV information available to the public.

Policy Lead - Steven Akehurst

Testing Action Plan

We are currently updating our Testing Action Plan, which was developed in 2009. The plan will give an overview of NAT's thinking on current HIV testing strategies in the UK, outlining key recommendations as well as well as establishing new ones in light of fresh research, reviews and pilots. In refreshing its recommendations, the plan will also take into account the new NHS and public health arrangements. Ultimately it will aim to mobilise political will, commitment and resources from a wide range of stakeholders to the increase uptake of HIV testing and reduce late diagnosis in the UK

Policy Lead - Steven Akehurst

Survey of Local Authorities spending on social care

It has been three years since NAT published a report on how the ASG (AIDS Support Grant) was being spent by Local Authorities.  As there have been such significant changes to how social care for people living with HIV is funded we wanted to find out how spending has changed.  So, we are carrying out a survey of all Local Authorities to determine how they are spending the money now provided to them under the ‘HIV/AIDS Support’ funding line, and what social care services they are providing to support people living with HIV.   For more information on social care for people living with HIV and the recent changes to funding see our social care webpage. 

Policy Lead - Laura Dunkeyson

Other things we are currently working on include:

• Engaging with the development of the new benefit assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which will replace DLA, and ensuring that the needs of people of HIV are considered in this process.
• Employment restrictions and rights for healthcare workers living with HIV 
• Producing policy briefing paper on HIV Hepatitis C co infection in the UK 
• Finalising preparations for NAT's expert seminar on HIV partner notification, planned for mid-January 2012
• We are continuing to call for HIV treatment to be exempt from charges. We are also calling for guidance to ensure that new immigration restrictions for migrants with an NHS debt are implemented fairly and with the minimum public health harm.
• Working to develop consensus around a clear recommendation for frequency of testing for HIV in African communities
• Working with local and national police authorities to ensure all occupational health policies (OHPs) and training material relating to HIV and/or blood borne viruses (BBVs) are accurate, clear and non-discriminatory