MedFASH provides authoritative responses and briefings to government and other policy-makers on current policy issues. Click here for more information, and for a details of current and past work in this field.

We are producing an information resource to support the work of healthcare professionals who are not HIV specialists in identifying and addressing factors which can hinder access to and effective provision of HIV testing and care. This supports the aims of the National strategy for sexual health and HIV (Department of Health, 2001) to reduce the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV, and the stigma associated with HIV infection.

The purpose of the project is to normalise consideration of HIV in non-HIV specialist clinical settings, and thereby increase opportunities for early diagnosis of HIV infection, and also to improve the quality of healthcare for people with diagnosed HIV in those settings. Click here for more information on the project.

The 10 High Impact Changes best practice guide provides measures that can be implemented quickly and on a scale that will enable 48-hour access to a local GUM service by March 2008.

We were commissioned by the Department of Health to organise an expert reference group, collate feedback, comments and case studies from this group, and draft a practical guide for the Department of Health to refine and publish (December 2006).

In 2004 we were commissioned by the Department of Health to manage a national review of genito-urinary medicine (GUM) services, as part of the implementation action plan for The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV. The review aimed to:

• undertake an assessment of each GUM service in England, highlighting factors which help or hinder their ability to offer a prompt and high quality service
• offer recommendations for service improvement and modernisation arising from each assessment, relevant for GUM service providers, their local primary care trusts and strategic health authorities
• provide findings and recommendations from the review to the Department of Health

Initiated in partnership with the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), the project started in June 2004 and the programme of visits was completed in May 2007. Click here for more information on the project.

During the project, we produced a 'top tips' guide to support delivery of the 48 hour access target for GUM. This guide drew on lessons learnt from reviews of GUM services and was circulated by Richard Gleave to SHA chief executives with a covering letter.

The more recent 10 high impact changes for genito-urinary medicine 48-hour access expanded on this to give more detailed practical guidance for providers and commissioners.

In December 2004, we published HIV in primary care, an essential guide for GPs, practice nurses and other members of the primary healthcare team, written by GPs Dr Sara Madge, Dr Philippa Matthews, Dr Surinder Singh and Dr Nick Theobald. The full-colour booklet focuses particularly on clinical diagnosis, offering HIV testing, side-effects of antiretroviral therapy which may be seen in primary care, and how GPs can complement specialist care for people with HIV. It presents practical information in an attractive and easy-to-use format, with photographs to illustrate the section on the main HIV-related conditions and their symptoms. Click here for more information about the publication, of which printed copies are available free on request to GPs and primary healthcare teams in England.

In March 2005, we published Recommended standards for sexual health services (download pdf or order a printed copy).

A key tool for providers, commissioners, performance managers and service users, the recommended standards will support local delivery of commitments in the public health White Paper and the National strategy for sexual health and HIV. Covering 10 aspects of service provision, including guidance on service networks, they are relevant to all settings providing NHS-funded sexual health services, including general practice, hospital and community-based clinics, pharmacies, and organisations in the voluntary and independent sectors. Supported by an expert advisory group, MedFASH developed the standards through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.

MedFASH also commissioned a review of the evidence supporting each recommended standard. Click to download Summaries of references for key interventions (pdf).

The recommended standards are based on the principle of delivery through service networks. MedFASH organised a national conference, on 16 May 2005, on sexual health service networks. To access the conference presentations click here.

We will be publishing a practical guide to the development of sexual health and HIV networks in 2006.

Click here for more information about the Recommended standards and networks for sexual health services project.

In October 2003 we published new recommended standards for NHS HIV services (pdf document to download or contact us to order a printed copy)

A cornerstone of the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV, the new Recommended standards for NHS HIV services cover 12 aspects of service provision for people with HIV and offer guidance on managed service networks. The recommended standards will serve as a tool for planning and auditing service development, a framework for commissioning and a resource for partnership between service users and providers. The House of Commons Health Select Committee has recommended their use by strategic health authorities in the performance management of trusts.

We have been finding out about network development in HIV and other areas of healthcare, and drafted a guide for HIV network development. During the guide's development, we held five multidisciplinary seminars in different parts of England which offered support to those who are, or may shortly be, involved in developing such networks. Participants were given a working draft of the practice guide and their feedback, plus that of some stakeholder organisations, is being used to help us improve on the first draft.

Click here for more information about the HIV standards and networks project.

For further information about the project, please email to enquiries.medfash@medfash.bma.org.uk

We mapped and facilitated the development of HIV service networks in the NHS in four parts of England - the south-east (Kent, Surrey & Sussex), west and north Yorkshire, the south-west, and the West Midlands.

The project report contains recommendations and key findings. To order a printed copy click here. You can also find a short description of what we learnt in an article in the July 2001 edition of the AIDS and Hepatitis Digest from the Royal Society of Medicine Press.

In December 2004 we published HIV in primary care, an essential guide to HIV for GPs, practice nurses and other members of the primary healthcare team. This full colour illustrated booklet written by GPs, offers practical help on clinical diagnosis and how to offer an HIV test.

We also participated in a BASHH group drafting clinical effectiveness guidelines for HIV testing, (now on the BASHH website). A version for non-HIV specialists - HIV testing for patients attending general medical services - was also published by the Royal College of Physicians on their website.

Earlier work included partnership with the Sheffield Department of GU Medicine to develop and pilot a patient leaflet on testing in GUM clinics - see Use of a leaflet to replace verbal pretest discussion for HIV: effects and acceptability, published in the journal of Sexually Transmitted Infections (2003;79:243-245). Our leaflet for non-HIV specialists, Take the HIV Test, is still available to download.