Councils have welcomed an appeal court ruling confirming that the NHS should pay for a 'game-changing' drug that reduces the risk of HIV infection.
Earlier this year the high court rejected NHS England's argument that councils should fund PrEP - pre-exposure prophylaxis - which has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by more than 90%.
The case was brought by the National Aids Trust after NHS England said responsibility for public health, including HIV prevention, had been passed to local authorities.
But the Local Government Association argued that councils should not be forced to pay because NHS England had retained responsibility for the commissioning of HIV therapeutics.
Responding to the new appeal court ruling, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the LGA's community wellbeing board, said: 'We now hope this decision will provide much-needed clarity around the roles of councils and the NHS on prevention services.
'It also demonstrates that both parties have the joint responsibility of ensuring we can deliver an integrated sexual health system as parliament originally intended.'
NHS England has ruled out any further appeal, but has said that even though PrEP will go on the list of specialised treatments it will consider funding, the price is excessive and it must weigh up the value of the drugs against other treatments for other conditions.
Deborah Gold, chief executive of NAT, said she hoped NHS England would make a 'balanced and evidence-based decision' over the drug.
She said: 'PrEP works, it saves money, and most importantly it has the power to prevent HIV acquisition for thousands of people, at the same time as beginning to end the HIV epidemic. This judgment brings that possibility one step closer.'
