Worthing Hospital to Begin Routine HIV and Hepatitis Testing in A&E

Worthing Hospital will begin testing all A&E patients for HIV and hepatitis from April, as part of a government-funded initiative to reduce transmissions and improve early diagnosis. The move follows similar programmes in Brighton and other areas.

Under the new scheme, all patients requiring a blood test in the hospital’s A&E department will be screened for HIV unless they opt out. The initiative aims to identify undiagnosed cases and tackle late diagnoses, ensuring more people receive early treatment. The programme aligns with the government’s wider efforts to end new HIV cases in England by 2030.

The rollout follows the successful introduction of opt-out HIV testing at Brighton’s Royal Sussex County Hospital in 2022. HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust has welcomed the expansion, emphasising that wider testing will help relieve NHS pressures and save costs. The government is expected to outline further measures in its upcoming HIV Action Plan for England this summer.