HIV testing programme launches at Tameside Hospital

A pioneering emergency department testing programme at Tameside Hospital is helping more local people access life-saving treatment and support for HIV and other viral infections.

Nine months after launching in March 2025, the routine blood testing initiative has already led to 52 people in Tameside and Glossop receiving a new diagnosis of HIV or viral hepatitis. The programme has also identified a number of people who were previously diagnosed but had since lost contact with health services, giving them a renewed opportunity to restart treatment and access support.

Under the scheme, anyone aged 16 or over who attends the emergency department and requires a routine blood test is automatically tested for HIV and viral hepatitis, unless they choose to opt out. Individuals who test positive are rapidly offered treatment and referred to specialist care services.

The opt-out approach, delivered in a setting visited by thousands of residents each year, enables clinicians to reach people who may not realise they are at risk or who may feel hesitant about attending a sexual health clinic for testing.

Early diagnosis remains one of the most effective tools in the fight against HIV. People who begin treatment promptly can live long, healthy lives and prevent the virus from being passed on to others. Thanks to modern anti-HIV medicines, those who take treatment consistently can reduce the amount of virus in their blood to levels so low it becomes undetectable, meaning it cannot be sexually transmitted.

As well as improving individual health outcomes, regular testing plays a major role in reducing stigma, increasing awareness, and ensuring people at risk can access appropriate care.

Dilraj Sandher, Chief Medical Officer at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Routine, opt-out testing in our emergency department has already had a profound impact on many lives. Through early detection, we can help prevent the long-term ill-health effects of HIV and make a real difference to the health of our community.”

The programme at Tameside Hospital is part of a wider initiative across eight other emergency departments in Greater Manchester, supporting the city-region’s Fast Track City commitment to ending new transmissions of HIV, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis by 2030.

The progress comes as communities prepare to mark World AIDS Day on 1 December, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and remembering those who have lost their lives.

To support local awareness, Manchester-based charity George House Trust will host an outreach stand at Tameside One shopping centre from 10am to 2pm on Monday 1 December. A World AIDS Day vigil will also take place later that day in Sackville Gardens, Manchester city centre, from 4pm.

Anyone can take a free, confidential HIV test. For more information, visit George House Trust or the PaSH Partnership.

To learn more about reducing the risk of HIV transmission, visit HIV and AIDS - NHS