Elton John-backed pilot expands opt-out HIV testing to 89 emergency departments

A pilot project supported by the Elton John AIDS Foundation has helped transform how HIV testing is offered in England, expanding a programme first introduced in two South London hospitals to 89 emergency departments across the country. The initiative makes HIV tests a routine part of emergency care, allowing patients to be tested unless they choose to decline. The approach aims to identify people who may be living with HIV without knowing it and connect them with treatment. Its expansion follows evidence that routine testing can reach people who might otherwise miss opportunities for diagnosis and care.How did the Elton John-backed pilot expand HIV testing across EnglandThe Elton John AIDS Foundation began pioneering opt-out HIV testing in South London in 2018. The initial work demonstrated how emergency departments could help identify people living with HIV who had not previously been diagnosed or who had become disconnected from treatment.According to the Foundation’s annual report, the pilot began in two South London hospitals and helped establish a model that could be extended across the NHS. The programme has since been scaled up, with government funding supporting its expans...