Have your say on PrEP!

Londoners are being urged to have their say on HIV prevention drugs, known as PrEP, which can be prescribed to people at greatest risk of contracting HIV.

London Councils, which represents the 32 boroughs and the City of London, is encouraging all Londoners to share their views on PrEP and wider HIV prevention with NHS England by responding to its online consultation.

Cllr Teresa O’Neill OBE, London Councils’ Executive member for health, said:
“HIV is a big issue for London as nearly half of all people living with HIV in the UK live in the capital and 57 per cent of new HIV diagnoses are in London too. This means that it is important that Londoners join us in telling NHS England what they think of PrEP.

“It is crucial to use all available methods, including PrEP, to protect people at risk of contracting HIV and reduce rates of infection, particularly as the long-term impact and cost of living with HIV are significantly greater than prevention.

“We are also calling for the 356 people participating in the PROUD study on the effectiveness of PrEP, which showed that in 86 per cent of cases the drug can prevent HIV, to continue receiving the drug between the study ending in September and the NHS England pilot due to start in January.

“We are concerned that NHS England, by arguing it is not responsible for funding PrEP, is trying to shift costs to local authorities. The judicial review has confirmed that NHS England should be responsible for funding PrEP, as we have always said.”

NHS England announced earlier this year that it did not have the power to commission PrEP however, a judicial review brought by the National Aids Trust determined that NHS England could commission PREP. NHS England is appealing this ruling but is going ahead with its public consultation on the drug at the same time.

Consultation responses will be used to shape the approach taken by NHS England if it commissions PrEP in the future.

NHS England’s public consultation on PrEP closes on Friday, September 23 2016.

To respond to the consultation, click here:

For more information on PrEP, click here: