HIV campaigner Sir Elton John delivered a televised address to MPs in Parliament
– as Dr Finlay’s Founder Ben Sinclair also spoke out on the subject on TV.
GP Dr Sinclair was asked to comment on a Government announcement that opt-out blood tests for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are being rolled out to a further 46 hospitals across England.
While Sir Elton talked with politicians in London, Dr Ben was filmed 120 miles north of Westminster, at Dr Finlay’s surgery at the Colmore Building in Birmingham.
The media call for Dr Ben came from ITV News after latest NHS figures showed that 42 per cent of HIV diagnoses in the UK are made late, when the immune system has already been significantly damaged.
Catching the Diagnosis Early
It is thought that over 4,000 people in England are living with the virus but are not aware. Government ministers aim to hit the target of eliminating new HIV cases in England by 2039.
Praising Sir Elton John for his campaigning, Dr Sinclair spoke of his own time in Africa, when he witnessed ‘hundreds’ dying from untreated HIV.
“I worked in Africa in my younger years and saw hundreds of people dying from untreated HIV, which then turned into AIDS. So it’s fantastic that we can offer great treatment these days and many people can live with the virus and be very stable,” he said.
“At Dr Finlay’s, we take blood all the time and we do include HIV testing in that if people wish us to. When we take blood, it’s just a simple case of asking ‘Are you happy for us to test for HIV as well?’ They can get that test very easily done. It doesn’t involve more needles and not a lot more blood will be taken, but it may mean the difference between catching a diagnosis early and getting early treatment and prevention.”
Speaking of the “big impact” HIV has on the immune system, Dr Sinclair added: “At Dr Finlay’s, we work very closely with people who may develop immune problems as a result, such as Long Covid as an example. If we can catch these things early, we can prevent that big impact on the immune system and prevent those other things from starting to happen, because other complications occur when your immunity is suppressed, like cancer, infections and they can be very serious.”
Welcome the Government’s announcement, Dr Sinclair said: “It’s also great to see people like Sir Elton who have been campaigning for this test for so many years. And to see that public opinion is looking towards treatment rather than stigmatising.”
‘Truly wonderful news’ – Sir Elton
“Automatic testing gets to people earlier, which means less HIV transmission, less illness, less death and by the estimate of health economists, £50m saved for the NHS,” Sir Elton said.
“So, to hear today from the secretary of state that this work will be expanded to every high HIV prevalence area… 46 new accident and emergency departments in local hospitals across England… more than doubling the number of HIV tests, is truly wonderful news.”
If you have any questions or concerns about HIV, please get in touch with us by emailing team@drfinlays.co.uk
