NAT campaigns on a range of issues in Parliament and seeks to influence legislation where it may impact on the lives of people living with HIV. We work to increase awareness and action amongst MPs and Peers and raise the political profile of HIV in the UK.

Health and social care reforms

NAT are closely monitoring the Health and Social Care Bill. The Bill will put into place the Government's reforms to both the NHS and Public Health services. We are working to ensure the needs of people living with HIV are fully represented in the Bill.

We wrote to members of the Health and Social Care Bill Committee highlighting our concerns around the impact of the politicisation of public health on people with HIV. We also briefed members of the House of Lords on this issue and others icluding the integration of HIV care, commissioning and accountability.  Read our briefing for Peers.

For more information on our views on the proposed healthcare reforms that the Health Bill will enact please see our consultation responses to the NHS White Paper and the Public Health White Paper on the treatment and care webpage.

Welfare reforms

Considerable reforms to the welfare system have recently been made through the Welfare Reform Act 2012. NAT is lobbyed MPs and Peers to try to ensure the needs of people with HIV were not compromised by these changes.

We particularly campaigned to remove the proposed time limit on contributory Employment Support Allowance and on issues related to the removal of Disability Living Allowance and introduction of Personal Independence Payments.  We worked with MPs to highlight these issues during the Welfare Reform Bill Committee, and will highlight these issues to Peers as the Bill continues its passage through Parliament. Read our briefing on the Bill and our evidence to the Commons Bill Committee.

The Welfare Reform Act is now law and these changes are already starting to come into force. For more information on these changes, our work and how you can get involved please see our webpage on benefits.

We will continue to highlight our concerns with MPs and Peers and attempt to secure changes in the future.

Sex and relationships education

Currently NAT is calling on the Government to ensure that young people, particularly young gay men, receive appropriate sex and relationships education so they can understand the risks of HIV and how they can protect their sexual health and the sexual health of others.  Young gay men are the group of young people most at risk from HIV infection, with new diagnoses amongst this group doubling in the last 10 years.

It is essential that all young people in schools are given the necessary tools and information to protect their own sexual health and that of others.

NAT has been lobbying for compulsory Personal Social Health and Economic Education (PSHE) including Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) through a number of bills.  

In the most recent Education Bill we worked with members of the House of Lords on an amendment to make PSHE compulsory.  Read our briefing for Peers on this issue. Unfortunately it did not pass, but there was some good discussion of the issue.  You can read what happened in the debate in Hansard. Discussion of amendment 88 starts at column GC340.

Previously we worked with members of the House of Lords on a similar amendment to the Academies Bill.  You can read what happened in Hansard, discussion of amendment 9 starts at column 228.

Prior to this, compulsory PSHE was included in the Childrens Schools and Families Bill, but disappointingly it was lost in the pre-election 'wash up'. Read NAT's press statement on the pre-election 'wash-up' of this Bill.

NAT responded to both the curriculum review and the Department for Education internal review of PSHE, highlighting the importance of good education about HIV.  Read NAT's submission to the internal review.

For more information on our work in this area please visit our Schools webpage.