What are the issues?

The Forum Link currently supports HIV patient, service user and PPE groups to engage with policy makers and commissioners about;

• Ensuring that patients with HIV can choose to access testing, treatment and care outside of the area in which they live, for confidentiality reasons.
• Addressing the discrepancies in HIV care in specialised vs. primary care settings. (HIV clinicians are better equipped than GPs to understand interaction of other medicines with anti-retrovirals and to deal with the possible side effects of HIV medicines)
• Addressing the HIV stigma in primary care settings. (The bond of trust and understanding of needs that exists between most patients and their GPs is not necessarily present for people living with HIV, many of whom have not even told their GPs that they are living with the virus.)
• Challenging the fact that voluntary sector organisations which provide services tailored to a community’s specific needs are needing to compete with wealthier private sector providers.
• Ensuring views of patients with stigmatised health conditions or from disadvantaged groups are being heard.
• Addressing the fact that groups of people living with HIV need to be resourced and supported to take part in the accountability process and patient confidentiality needs to be assured.