In 2007-08 NHS London set itself the target of halving the incidence of late diagnosis of HIV - defined as people with HIV having a CD4 count of less than 200 - by 2010/11. At this meeting London’s Sexual Health Programme Director, Hong Tan, gave a presentation on the target to a small group of clinicians/ NHS staff from England's different Strategic Health Authorities, MPs, and NGO representatives.

The presentation showed that the adoption of this indicator had already driven new innovative approaches to increasing access to HIV testing and focussed minds on the improved integration of HIV with other sexual health services. The presentation was also able to show some very early results, with rates of late diagnosis going down in some PCTs although Hong Tan warned it was too early to draw definite conclusions. A copy of his presentation is available on request. The presentation was followed by a round-table discussion about how other Strategic Health Authorities might raise the profile of the issue of late diagnosis of HIV in their work. For full notes of the meeting click here.