Better training and awareness-raising needed to combat HIV discrimination in healthcare settings

17 May 2010

More needs to be done to ensure that people living with HIV are not discriminated against in healthcare settings, according to a report published today (May 17) by the National Assembly’s Equality of Opportunity Committee.

The report from the cross-party group of AMs recommends better training for healthcare professionals treating people with HIV, along with a public awareness campaign to dispel the myths associated with the virus.

The Committee was told that patients with HIV often feel they are being unnecessarily referred to specialists when they could receive general healthcare, but evidence from healthcare professionals suggests that they believe they are acting in patients’ best interests.

To combat this, the report recommends more effective training and easier access to HIV specialists for healthcare professionals.

The report also highlights that someone with HIV might be reluctant to make a formal complaint of discrimination, for fear of prejudicing any future treatment. It is therefore recommended that HIV and AIDS charities begin alerting local health boards informally of cases of discrimination in their organisation.

Another recommendation of the report is that the Welsh Government targets the stigma surrounding the virus by encouraging local health boards to roll out routine HIV screening tests universally, rather than just targeting high-risk groups.

Committee Chair Ann Jones AM said: “It is unacceptable that any person living with HIV should encounter discrimination by healthcare providers and although some improvements have been made, there is still work to be done.

“A key point that this inquiry has highlighted is that there are differences in opinion about whether discriminatory behaviours are the result of a lack of knowledge and experience, or a reflection of discriminatory or prejudicial attitudes.

“The Committee’s recommendation that healthcare workers are sufficiently informed is therefore of pivotal importance.

“I hope that this report will help to improve the situation for those living with HIV and ensure that they are treated on an equal basis to others.”

The report is available from the Equality of Opportunity Committee's pages