Publish date: 24 March 2025
From 24 March 2025 patients aged 18 and over attending the Emergency Department at Queen Alexandra Hospital will be offered opt-out testing for three types of viral infection:
- HIV
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
These are all infections which can be silent for many years. They can cause serious health problems if not treated, but very good medical treatments are available.
This testing is part of an NHS England programme that is already in place in many other Emergency Departments including those in London, Brighton and Manchester. It is part of a national project to stop any new infections with these viruses by 2030.
What does this mean for you?
Anyone aged 18 or over who has a blood test in the Emergency Department will also have their blood tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
We will only contact people with positive results. If this is the case for you, one of our medical teams will be in touch to discuss your results and what happens next.
If your tests are negative, the results will be in your medical notes and accessible by your GP. We will not contact you about them. In this case, no news is good news. If you would like to check your results, please contact your GP at least 14 days after your test.
Where can you find out more information?
Written information on this testing is also on posters and leaflets in the Emergency Department. Leaflets in the most spoken languages in our communities are available.
If you do not wish to be tested, please tell the staff member taking your blood. If you choose not to be tested, this will not change how we look after you.
If you have any concerns or questions, you can contact our Microbiology Team via email: pho-tr.