Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2023 to Question 186242 on Infectious Diseases: Screening, if he will set out a timeline for (a) assessing the data gathered so far and (b) taking a decision on expanding the programme.

The preliminary results from the first year of the opt-out testing programme for HIV and blood-borne viruses in emergency departments are planned to be released on 7 June 2023, with publishing thereof on that date or shortly thereafter.

No specific timelines for assessing the data are currently planned. We are considering this alongside the data on progress towards our ambitions to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030 and to examine the feasibility of further expanding this programme. A decision will be made in due course.