Starting 7 October 2024 if you have a blood test in one of the Emergency Departments (EDs) in Bristol, we will check to see if you have a blood borne virus (BBV). These viruses are HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
This is an ‘opt out’ test, meaning every blood test that is taken will be screened for these viruses, unless you tell us not to. Occasionally there is another reason the tests could not be completed - for example, there wasn’t enough blood taken to do the tests.
This is already happening for people having blood tests in some other parts of the UK - like, London, Manchester and Brighton.
There is a chance that if you are taking, or have been recently taking, Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) that a negative test result will be a “false negative”. This means that the test would not identify the early stage of a HIV infection. It is therefore important that people who take PrEP do not rely on this screening test in the ED, and should continue to have regular HIV and sexual health testing.
How else can I access HIV and other sexual health testing?
Unity Sexual Health clinic can provide information about and tests for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
You can request a home testing kit for HIV through the Unity sexual health website.
Welcome to Unity Sexual Health | Unity Sexual Health
It is also possible to talk to your GP about having these tests if you have a particular concern.
Many people in the UK do not know that they are living with a blood borne virus. People living with HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C can develop other health problems because of these viruses. Helping people to know when they are living with one of these viruses can help them get the right care from specialists, and can help them to not pass the viruses on to other people.
You do not have to have these tests. If you would like to “opt out” of having these tests, you must tell the staff member who is taking your blood test. Choosing to opt out this won’t affect your care in any way. The only difference is you won’t know if you have the viruses we screen for.
It is important to know that tests taken as part of the screening programme will be available for your GP to see as part of your health record. If you would prefer your GP not to know these results, then you may wish to “opt out” of having these tests in the ED.
"Opting out" means you choose not to have these specific blood borne virus screening tests, you can still have other blood tests.
If you opt out of the screening test, this decision will be recorded in your medical notes. The computer system will 'block' the tests from being done for 12 months. Therefore, it is important to tell staff each time you are having a blood test in the Emergency Department if you still want to opt out.
If your doctor or clinician feels it is important that you have a test for one (or more) of these conditions, they can still arrange that specific test for you. This specific test will not be affected if you decide to opt out of the screening test.
If you decide that you would like to talk about having tests for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, after you visit the ED, you can speak to your GP or access testing through Unity Sexual Health clinic. You can request a test for one or all three, and you can request a home testing kit for HIV through the Unity Sexual Health.
The results of these tests take a few days to become available, so you will not receive any results from these tests while in the ED.
No news is good news - if you don’t hear from us within 14 days, that usually means that either all the tests were negative, or in some cases that the tests were not completed - for example, if there was not enough blood in the sample to do the tests.
If your test result is not negative, then you will be contacted by a Care Navigator who will arrange for you to have further blood tests to either confirm or rule out that you have a blood borne virus.
If your result is positive, either from the initial tests or after further tests, the Care Navigator will arrange for you to see the correct specialists and make sure that you understand everything.
Please be aware when you get a phone call from the hospital, it usually appears as a withheld (private) number and we cannot leave confidential information on voicemail messages. Please consider answering calls from withheld numbers for the 14 days after you came to the ED.
You can contact our Care Navigator. They work with people involved in this screening programme, and can check for you that the test was performed and confirm the result.
If you attended Southmead ED, the e-mail address for the Care Navigator is:
If you attended either the Bristol Royal Infirmary ED or Weston General Hospital ED, the e-mail address for the Care Navigator is:
If you would like more information about these viruses, see the links below.
You can also make an appointment at Unity Sexual Health clinic to discuss your sexual health including being tested for blood borne virsues. You don't need a referral, please go to the website to book an appointment.
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. ‘Immunodeficiency’ refers to the weakening of the immune system by the virus. HIV can be cauing damage silently for many years; you may have no signs or symptoms.
For the vast majority of people with HIV, treatment is normally a fixed dose combination tablet, taking it once a day. The treatment is so effective that it stops the virus from reproducing in your body. It reduces the amount of virus in the blood to undetectable levels, meaning you cannot pass on HIV and can expect to live a normal lifespan.
Further support and information:
Home | Terrence Higgins Trust (tht.org.uk)
HIV and AIDS - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Hepatitis C affects your liver and can lead to serious liver problems if not treated. You can have hepatitis C for many years and not notice any symptoms, but this does not mean it isn’t affecting your liver. Hepatitis C is curable. Treatment is a course of tablets, taken for 8-12 weeks. You are unlikely to experience side-effects from the treatment.
Further information and support:
Hepatitis B affects your liver. Most adults that contract hepatitis B recover fully, but if contracted as a child it is unlikely that the body will clear the virus on its own. Treatment is very effective and is usually in the form of tablets. Some people do not need treatment for the virus as it may not be causing damage to the liver. They will need regular check-ups though. An important other step is to vaccinate those that live with you and these vaccines can be provided free of charge by your GP.
Further information and support at:
© North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published August 2024. Review due August 2027. NBT003710.