Concerns raised by people in Nottingham as HIV support service to lose funding

An HIV support service in Nottingham which will be closing its doors at the end of the month will be replaced by a council-run service.

The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is the UK's leading charity for HIV and sexual health and offers support to people living with HIV.

Due to financial constraints, the service has confirmed that it will cease to provide support at its Nottingham base from March 31, 2019.

But one of its core funders, Nottingham City Council, has confirmed that it will not be closing any support services, and is instead taking on the task itself.

This has raised concerns over delays in test results by people living with HIV in Nottingham, with one man saying that it could lead to an increase in the spread of infection.

The most recent estimates on THT's website say there were 101,600 people living with HIV in the UK in 2017.

Of these, around 7,800 are undiagnosed so do not know they are HIV positive.

The rapid testing service  that THT provides in Nottingham  aims to have results within 20 minutes, and new diagnoses have been declining nationally since their peak in 2005.

The service hub in High Pavement, Nottingham city centre, was one the charities to host Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their first public engagement together, for World Aids Day in 2017.

The couple met with people living with the disease as well as learning about what work was happening in Nottingham to encourage testing, and support people.

A man living with HIV in Nottingham, who wished to remain anonymous, said the news of THT's closure came as a shock when he found out in a letter.

"For me this is a huge kick in the teeth, after this particular site was used as one of the charities that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle came to visit on their engagement visit," he said.

"It's known as one of the best services in the country and is the only specialist space with this volume of testing in the area.

"I worry that switching to a council based service could lead to a serious problem, with the worst case scenario being that more people will contract HIV.

"I understand that government cuts are partly to blame, but the support is already dwindling, and it hasn't even closed yet."

The man also highlighted how vital the THT service was in the city, feeling that it would not be maintained in the same way, if replaced.

He added: "HIV is a silent epidemic, which is extremely stigmatised.

"The current 20 minute test people can access at THT is likely to take much longer through the council run service, which means people won't use it as often and are more likely to infect others.

"This is the reason it was founded in the first place, to support vulnerable people like sex workers and drug addicts.

"From my perspective, it is far cheaper and more efficient, to prevent people getting HIV, than paying for the drugs they will need for the rest of their lives."

The council has not confirmed the specifics of their support service, but it has stated that it will continue to fund an HIV testing service through its public health budget.

In the meantime, THT have directed their users to an online support forum as well as their direct helpline.

But the service user also expressed his disappointment in THT, saying that this support doses not offer the same level of interaction that many clients need.

"Switching to an online support service is simply not the same and for many people, not an option," he said.

"One on one interaction is so important for people who feel so isolated.

"Some people would have been diagnosed in the eighties, and have been using THT since it opened in Nottingham around 13 or 14 years ago.

"The trauma in disclosing each personal HIV story and facing the stigma, will be worse, because there will not be the same sort of relationships that have formed at THT.

"It doesn't make any sense, not least of all from a health perspective, surely we can't take backward steps?"

Councillor Sam Webster, portfolio holder for adult social care and health said: “We understand the importance of supporting people with HIV and that’s why we must stress that we’re not closing any services in Nottingham.

“We’re going to be running an adult social care support service ourselves which was previously run by the Terrence Higgins Trust on our behalf, while we are continuing to fund an HIV testing service through our public health budget.”

Rachael Scott, head of hubs at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "We firmly believe in the importance of specialist HIV services in a city like Nottingham and are deeply disappointed by the decision.

"This includes both health promotion to ensure people are aware of how to protect themselves against HIV – particularly among groups most affected by HIV – as well as support services to ensure people can live well with the virus, physically and emotionally.

"HIV remains a highly stigmatised condition and, for many people living with HIV, mainstream services don’t have a strong enough understanding of the condition. 

"We have written to all of our service users to inform them of the ending of the service and have signposted to alternative support in the city where available.

"We are also having continuing conversations with Nottingham City Council about future work together around HIV in Nottingham.

"Additionally, we have our community forum myHIV where people living with HIV can access online peer support, as well as our THT Direct helpline where we answer questions and signpost to both local and national support."