PEER SUPPORT: Reengagement into HIV CARE
Naz is proud to be part of the North West London Partnership for re-engaging people living with HIV back into care.
Funded by Fast-Track Cities and led by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the partnership works with all HIV clinics within North West London, with Naz Project, Positively UK and Plushealth for peer support, and Antidote for substance use and chemsex support.
We understand that the reasons people fall out of HIV care are complex and overlapping, with issues including unsecure housing or homelessness, mental and physical health issues, navigating the immigration system, substance use, poverty, or having lives which feel chaotic and where living well with HIV takes a back seat. We also understand that people may have lost trust in services due to poor previous experiences, may have missed appointments and drifted away from care, or otherwise slip through cracks in the system.
UK Health Security Agency data estimates that between 1,500 and 5,500 people in London may currently be out of HIV care. Some have moved and not re-registered with a clinic. Some are managing complex and competing needs that make attending appointments difficult. Others have had negative experiences with services or carry stigma that keeps them away. The challenge is greatest among communities already facing health inequalities, including people from Global Majority backgrounds, people experiencing homelessness, and those in contact with the criminal justice system.
The North West London partnership will bring together NHS HIV services, voluntary and community sector organisations and peer support teams to contact people not in care, provide personalised support to help them reprioritise their health and HIV care, re-engage them with clinical services and improve their quality of life by addressing their unmet needs.
The model is built around taking care to the person rather than expecting them to come to the clinic – through community outreach, home visits, telehealth and rapid treatment re-start in the community. Peer support is embedded at every stage.