Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if funding will be allocated to address HIV stigma.

On World AIDS Day, 1 December 2025, the Department published the new HIV Action Plan, which was developed in collaboration with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England. The plan is backed by over £170 million in funding and sets out five core priorities needed to reach our ambition to end new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmissions within England by 2030. One of these priorities is to address stigma and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV, with several actions to achieve this.

The Department is investing £4.8 million from 2026 to 2029 in the newly procured National HIV Prevention England Programme, which will be delivered by a consortium of the Terrence Higgins Trust and the Africa Advocacy Foundation. This programme includes an aim to reduce levels of HIV related stigma, particularly self-stigma and stigma within different communities.

NHS England is commissioning a new HIV anti-stigma programme to be rolled out across trusts with the emergency department Blood Borne Viruses (BBV) opt-out testing programme, to ensure that staff have the right knowledge on HIV and can tackle stigma and discrimination. Currently, NHS England promotes and funds HIV peer support services in the BBV emergency department opt-out testing programme, recognising the role of lived-experience facilitators in reducing isolation and stigma. Case studies highlight how peer-led support fosters empowerment and combats stigma-related barriers.

Local areas will also monitor progress through staff surveys, service user feedback, and quality assurance mechanisms to promote a culture of understanding and respect.