BBV screening in Brighton

Patients aged 16 and over attending the Emergency Department (ED) at the Royal Sussex County are currently offered opt-out HIV and Hepatitis C testing as part of the NHS England BBV screening programme.

Opt-out HIV testing in the RSCH ED started in April 2022, with Hepatitis C testing added to the blood-borne viruses screening in March 2023 .

These are both infections which can remain silent for many years. They can cause serious health problems if left untreated, which can be prevented with highly effective medical treatments.
This testing is part of an NHS England programme which is now being expanded as part of a national effort to eliminate the transmission of these viruses by 2030.

What does this mean for you?

Anyone aged 16 or over who has a blood test for any reason while attending the Emergency Department will also have their blood tested for HIV and Hepatitis C.

If this is the case for you, you will be contacted directly by the appropriate specialist team to discuss your test result and to arrange the next steps.

Most tests will be negative, and it is not feasible for us to contact every person who has had a negative test. However if you would like to check your results and were tested at Royal Sussex County Hospital you can contact us on 0776 5916572.

We are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. If you are calling out of hours, please leave a voicemail stating your full name and date of birth and that you think you tested for BBVs in the Emergency Department.

If your tests are negative, the result will appear in your clinical record. We will not contact you directly with this information.

Sometimes we are not able to test the blood we take from you, due to a technical problem with the sample. If this happens, we will also not contact you.