急診病患將接受HIV與肝炎篩檢
英國彼得伯勒市與亨廷頓的急診部門將開始對病患進行HIV、B型肝炎與C型肝炎的篩檢，作為新政策的一部分。
此舉是因應英國國民健康署（NHS）訂下的目標——於2030年前終結英格蘭的HIV新感染案例。
NHS於2022年4月啟動了全國性血源性病毒（BBV）篩檢計畫，採「自動檢測、可選擇退出」的機制，在感染率高的地區推行。
由Northwest Anglia Foundation NHS Trust管理的彼得伯勒市醫院與Hinchingbrooke醫院，近日也加入該計畫。
目前全英已有近90間急診部門參與，政府也為此撥款2,700萬英鎊擴大至30間新醫院。
英國政府表示，這項變革每年可望讓額外1,900位HIV感染者能夠更早獲得治療。
在彼得伯勒與Hinchingbrooke醫院，凡年滿18歲並前往急診就醫的患者，只要有抽血，就會進行BBV篩檢。此篩檢為「自動進行、可選擇退出」模式，若病患未特別表示不願接受，則血樣會自動送檢。
所有篩檢及其結果皆為保密，僅當檢出「非陰性」結果時，醫療單位才會進一步聯繫病患。
若病患此次急診並未抽血，則不會進行篩檢。
HIV and hepatitis screening for A&E patients
3 days agoShareSave
Shariqua Ahmed
BBC News, Peterborough
Patients at emergency departments at Cambridgeshire hospitals will be screened for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C under new plans.
The move comes after the NHS outlined ambitions to end new HIV cases in England by 2030.
The NHS launched a national blood-borne virus (BBV) opt-out testing programme in April 2022 to allow testing in local areas where those infections had a high prevalence.
Peterborough City Hospital (PCH) and Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, run by Northwest Anglia Foundation NHS Trust, have now joined the scheme.
The NHS has confirmed it was extending the program to almost 90 Accident and Emergency (A&E) units in England, following the government ‘s £27m rollout to 30 new hospitals.
The government said the changes could lead to an extra 1,900 people receiving earlier care for HIV each year.
At PCH and Hinchingbrooke, patients aged 18 and over who attend the emergency department will have a blood test as part of the care.
The BBV testing is an opt-out test, meaning every blood test will automatically be screened for these viruses, unless a patient tells staff not to test their sample.
All tests and results are confidential, with patients only being contacted further if a “non-negative” result is shown.
If patients are not required to have a blood test during their visit, they will not be tested.
