Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will ensure national access to HIV peer support through (a) in-community, (b) in-clinic and (c) online services in partnership with voluntary sector organisations.

The Government is committed to ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030, and is developing the new HIV Action Plan, which we aim to publish this year. The plan will address ways to optimise rapid access to treatment and retention in care, and will improve the quality of life for people living with HIV, including consideration of peer support services.

A key component of the Government’s successful HIV emergency department opt-out testing programme includes a recommendation that 10% of the funding allocated to each site should be used to support community and peer support services for individuals diagnosed with a blood borne virus.

NHS England holds overall accountability for the commissioning of HIV services, and since April 2025, commissioning responsibility, including support services for those living with HIV, has been delegated to the integrated care boards. In April 2024, NHS England published the updated national Service Specification for Adult HIV services, which sets out the standards of care that HIV providers are expected to meet, including the availability of community, psychological, and psychosocial support for patients.