Nearly 200 people with HIV helped back into life-saving care
Nearly 200 people living with HIV across South-east London have been helped back into life-saving care as part of an NHS initiative.
Launched by the South East London Integrated Care System, the project has seen 197 people living with HIV reconnect with vital treatment after a period of being out of care, reducing the risk of HIV-related complications.
Almost 70 per cent of those re-engaged with treatment were from Black or Black British backgrounds.
The programme, run by King’s College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trusts, as well as Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, was created to support people to re-engage with their HIV care and re-start taking antiretroviral medicines.
HIV is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease.
Antiretroviral medicines work by stopping the virus replicating in the body, allowing the immune system to repair itself and prevent further damage.
Without this, people living with HIV are at greater risk of contracting serious infections.
The project offered tailored support to address competing needs that often pushed patients out of care, including unemployment, alcohol misuse, mental health issues, and substance use.
Dr Goli Haidari, a consultant in HIV and sexual health for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Once people living with HIV visit our clinic, we can address everything they are worried about and often it’s simple things that we can do, like housing letters, referring them for hardship funds and peer support.
“Once they come in, we can definitely improve the quality of their lives.”
University Hospital Lewisham also found that the inpatient cost of admission for a person with an advanced HIV infection can be as high as £114,000 with an average cost of £18,195.
By bringing patients back into care, the project not only saves lives but also improves cost effectiveness for the NHS in the long term.
Pictured top: St Thomas Hospital (Picture: Guys and St. Thomas’ NHS Trust)