UK Standards for HIV Care Launched by BHIVA

On 29 November 2012, the British HIV Association (BHIVA) launched "Standards of Care for People Living With HIV" at the Royal College of Physicians in London to an audience of over 150 people.

It is hoped that this document will help with the planning of both national and local services to ensure that HIV positive people receive access to the appropriate levels of treatment and care.

The Standards were compiled by a wide range of stakeholders, including doctors, nurses, pharmacist, community advocates and HIV positive people and revised after consultation for comments.

Further information on process of producing the standards, together with links to download PDF versions are on the BHIVA website.

The recommendations cover 12 major areas of care:

1. Diagnostic Testing for HIV
2. Access to, and retention in, HIV treatment and care
3. Provision of outpatient treatment and care for HIV, and access to care for complex co-morbidity
4. Safe ARV prescribing: Effective Medicines Management
5. Inpatient care for people living with HIV
6. Psychological care
7. Sexual health and secondary HIV prevention
8. Reproductive Health
9. Self management
10. Service user engagement / involvement
11. Competencies
12. Data, Audit and Research

Links to other websites are current at date of posting but not maintained.