Researchers have called for GP testing to be rolled out in 74 local authorities, after a study found it was cost-effective and will help save lives.
The study, which was first published in the medical journal The Lancet, examined a research trial in Hackney, where 40 GP surgeries carried out fingerprick HIV testing as part of a standard health check, and found it led to a four-fold higher HIV diagnosis rate.
It claimed the annual cost of rolling out the screening programme to the 74 local authority areas in England, which have high HIV prevalence would be around £4m.
‘We’ve shown that HIV screening in UK primary care is cost effective and potentially cost saving, which is contrary to widespread belief,’ said Dr Wener Leber, from the Queen Mary University of London.
‘This is an important finding given today’s austerity. Financial pressures, particularly within local authority’s public health budgets, mean that the costs of HIV testing are under intense scrutiny, and in some areas investment in testing has fallen.’
Dr Clare Highton, from the Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) added: ‘Public health, specialist and CCG commissioners should take note of these important results showing the value for money of screening for HIV in primary care.
‘This intervention means that people with HIV are able to live longer and healthier lives and the spread of infection to other people is halted.’