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Standards for peer support in HIV launched

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A benchmark for good practice in peer support.

The first ever National Standards of Peer Support in HIV in the UK have just been launched.

The standards were produced by Positively UK in partnership with the community of people living with HIV, clinical groups including the National HIV Nurses Association and charities such as Terrance Higgins Trust.

The value of peer support in promoting people’s health and well-being has been recognised by the NHS in the 5-Year Forward View.

The NHS’s Realising the Value programme identified the role of peer support in enabling people with long term conditions, such as HIV, in contributing to personal well-being and improved clinical outcomes, and resulting in cost savings to health and social care.

In the field of HIV the BHIVA Standards of Care identify the value of engaging with peer support services and the NHS contracts for both adults and children’s clinical care identify the role of peer support in promoting self-management.

In 2014 UN AIDS set the 90-90-90 targets, of 90 per cent people living with HIV diagnosed, 90 per cent on treatments and 90 per cent having an undetectable viral load.

However, a fourth target of 90 per cent of people living with HIV experiencing a good quality of life is also needed, and to achieve this we must provide the rights means of support.

Fundamentally, peer support is valued by people living with HIV as essential in managing physical, emotional and social well-being by addressing isolation, challenging perceptions of stigma, developing support networks and helping navigate the complexities of living with HIV.

These standards aim to provide a benchmark for good practice in peer support.

They are specifically for people living with HIV and set out what they can expect when accessing or providing peer support, organisations in informing the design and delivery of support, health and social care professionals to better engage with peer support, commissioners and policy makers in inform service design and ensure the effective commissioning of quality peer support.

The standards set out the competencies and skills required for delivering peer support, and auditable indicators and outcomes to demonstrate effectiveness and examples of good practice to draw upon.

According to the Terence Higgins Trust, figures from 2015 showed there were more people living with HIV in the UK than ever before.

In 2015, an estimated 101,200 people in the UK were living with HIV, 13 per cent of whom were unaware of their infection.

A total of 6,095 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2015.

The proportion of new infections from heterosexual contact that were UK-acquired has increased from 40 per cent to 57 per cent during the period 2006-2015.

The proportion for men who have sex with men (MSM) has seen a slight decrease over the same time period.

Two-fifths (39 per cent) of people diagnosed with HIV were diagnosed late, after they should have begun treatment.

Late diagnosis is most common in certain groups, heterosexuals in particular:

Heterosexual infections accounted for 39 per cent of new diagnoses. Out of all newly diagnosed heterosexual men and women, 28 per cent and 18 per cent respectively were aged 50 or older.

Out of all people accessing HIV care, 34 per cent were aged 50 or over.

The implementation of these standards should ensure peer support is accessible to everyone living with HIV throughout the UK.

“We know peer support has huge impact for people living with HIV in addressing isolation, tackling stigma and reducing anxiety as well as improving clinical outcomes such as managing HIV treatments,” Allan Anderson, chief executive of Positively UK, said.

“With these standards we want set out a clear framework for how those can be delivered and the quality of support people should expect.”

“Positively UK was founded by two women living with HIV and on the ethos of peer support – an ethos that only those who also live with HIV can truly understand what someone else is experiencing and can share those experiences to help others and change lives.

“2017 marks 30 years since the first meeting that was the foundation of the charity. It’s therefore fitting, in our anniversary year, to launch these standards.”

To download a copy, click here.

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