Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust has committed to provide a stigma-free environment for all staff and patients who are living with HIV, by becoming a founding member of the HIV Confident charter mark.
To become HIV Confident, the Trust has pledged to:
- Carry out a review of knowledge and attitudes across the Trust.
- Review and, where necessary, update our policies and procedures around employment, health and safety, and data protection.
- Pilot and roll-out a short anti-stigma eLearning package for all staff.
- Establish clear reporting processes for patients and staff who encounter stigma, so that we can address stigma where it occurs.
- Carry out a follow-up evaluation to monitor and measure the impact of this work.
Becoming HIV Confident will enable patients and staff living with HIV to know that they can access health services, or work for us, with confidence and without fear of discrimination.
HIV Confident was developed in partnership by National AIDS Trust, aidsmap, and Positively UK and is supported by Fast-Track Cities, London.
Ben Pearson, executive medical director at Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We’re proud to be amongst the first NHS Trusts to support the HIV Confident commitment. We strive to be an inclusive and equitable employer providing inclusive and equitable services to our patients and families. Reducing stigma associated with health conditions and improving access to care matters to us and by signing up to achieve HIV Confident status we are demonstrating our commitment in the most tangible way we can.”
Why is the charter mark important?
Stigma still impacts the quality of life and psychological wellbeing of many people living with HIV. It is hoped that with the treatment and prevention tools we now have, we can achieve zero new transmissions of HIV by 2030. To do this we need to tackle HIV stigma. The fear of experiencing stigma and discrimination can discourage people from accepting HIV testing, engaging with HIV care, and accessing other kinds of healthcare​. By increasing confidence in and within healthcare services we can help to ensure that people living with HIV can access the best possible care that meets their needs across Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust’s services.
Despite the huge advances in the treatment of HIV, meaning someone on effective treatment can live a long and healthy life and cannot pass the virus on through sex, many people living with HIV report being treated differently to other patients and experiencing discrimination within healthcare.
We need to ensure that healthcare staff have the confidence to work with and support people living with HIV in a way which is not stigmatising and delivers the best care for that person. Many staff report a lack of confidence in discussing HIV with patients and, incorrectly, believe that people living with HIV should be treated differently, either for reasons related to their health or due to unfounded concerns about infection risks.