BBV screening in Worthing

Patients aged 16 and over attending the Emergency Department (ED) at Worthing Hospital are currently offered opt-out HIV as part of the NHS England BBV screening programme.

Opt-out HIV testing started in March 2026 at Worthing ED with plans to include other BBV testing in the future.

BBV infections like HIV 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 Worthing Emergency Department will also have their blood tested for HIV.

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 Worthing ED you can contact us on 01903 285199 we are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 12.45pm.

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.