HIV

Appointments

If you have a new diagnosis of HIV, initially you may need to be seen more frequently. Patients attending for routine care may only need to be seen every six months to a year. Blood tests should be arranged at least two weeks before your appointment with the doctor/specialist nurse so they can discuss these results with you. Routine appointments for bloods and follow up generally take 20-30 mins

Annual health checks

We offer all patients an annual health check. At the appointments we carry out physical and psychological assessments (such as blood pressure monitoring). Appointments generally take 30 mins to 1 hour

Sexual health screens

We offer STI testing at each appointment and can provide any necessary treatments, this is done as part of your routine appointments. Cervical smears & contraception are routinely discussed, and vaccinations (such as hepatitis A & B and HPV) are routinely offered.

Transferring HIV care to Lawson Unit

Transferring your HIV care to Brighton is easy. Simply inform your current HIV care centre that you are transferring care to Brighton and request ‘transfer-of-care’ documentation. Your current HIV care centre will know what this is. Alternatively – you can come to Lawson Unit and sign a transfer-of-care request and we’ll sort the rest out.

EmERGE

EmERGE is a novel digital pathway that reduces in-person consultations to one doctor/nurse appointment per year. The highly secure mobile phone app provides instant access to results, info about medications and appointment. Additionally, there is a two-way messaging system that enables you to communicate directly to the clinic via your app

Visit the EmERGE website for more information.

How do I get more medication?

If you don’t have enough medication until your next appointment, please contact the HIV Pharmacy Team on 01273 664 948. Please allow at least 24 hours for your prescription to be written. Once your prescription is ready please take it to Pharm@Sea (the outpatient pharmacy for the hospital) on 01273 523 257. For issues related to medicines home delivery please contact Alcura Health on 0800 980 0686 or 01604 433 500.

Does my GP need to know my HIV status?

We encourage all of our patients to register with a GP. With your permission we will reguarly communicate with your GP advising of any changes in your HIV care. Many patients have problems unrelated to HIV which GPs can manage safely.

Links to other services

We have excellent links with other departments including oncology, hepatitis clinics, rheumatology, dietetics, chest medicine and antenatal services. We have pathways in place that will help with any other treatments or appointments you may need from other specialties. We also work closely with organisations such as Terrence Higgins Trust, Mental Health Rapid Response Service, and the HIV Community Support Team.

Where we are

The Lawson Unit (HIV outpatients)

The Lawson Unit, located in the Louisa Martindale Building at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, is a specialist HIV outpatient clinic and a leading centre for HIV care. It provides comprehensive, multi-disciplinary support to over 2,400 people living with HIV in Sussex and beyond. The service is nationally and internationally recognised for excellence in clinical care and research, offering both routine management for stable patients and tailored support for those newly diagnosed or transitioning care.

At the heart of the care model is a structured outpatient pathway: patients typically have blood test appointments lasting around 20 minutes, followed by medical or nurse specialist consultations that may last 20–60 minutes, depending on the needs—ranging from routine monitoring and annual holistic health reviews to sexual health screening and vaccination updates. Doctor appointments occur every six months for stable patients, with more frequent visits for those newly diagnosed or with complex needs. Clinicians, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, health advisors, psychologists, and dietitians, collaborate closely with community HIV teams and third-sector organizations to address both medical and psychosocial aspects of living with HIV. 

The Lawson Unit also offers specialist clinics—such as women-only (Sunflower Clinic), cardiac, liver, renal, aging, and memory services—leveraging partnerships with tertiary specialties to provide comprehensive, condition-specific care. For convenience, many appointments offer flexible formats (face-to-face, telephone, video), and there’s a digital app, EmERGE, enhancing care by delivering test results, medication information, and two-way messaging—all designed to limit unnecessary in-person visits. Additionally, the unit actively engages in national and international clinical research, offering participation in studies on new therapies, HIV comorbidities, prevention strategies, and sexual health diagnostics.

Specialist Clinics

The Orange Clinic

A new approach for the assessment and management of people who have cognitive issues or concerns.

The Orange clinic aims to provide a single point of care for expert, multidisciplinary assessment, management and advice.

Sunflower Clinic

The Sunflower Clinic is open for all women living with HIV, and provides access to a doctor, nurse, health adviser and a women’s support worker from the Sussex Beacon – all at one appointment.

This specialist team offers support, information and education around HIV treatment, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, fertility, cervical smears, menopause, bone and heart health, domestic violence, substance misuse, sexual assault, social issues and any concerns around mental health.

Alternate Fridays 10-1pm at The Lawson Unit.

• Sunflower clinic patient information leaflet

Partner organisations

Terrence Higgins Trust (THT)

THT is the UK’s largest HIV and sexual health charity. All THT Brighton based services are completely confidential and free of charge.  They offer a wide range of support services for people living with or affected by HIV, including:

• counselling
• welfare rights and advice
• coping with diagnosis and telling people you’re living with HIV
• accommodation issues
• signposting and referrals to specialist counselling and debt advice.

See the full range of support services for people living with HIV in Brighton and Hove.

Lunch Positive

Lunch positive are a registered charity who provide a range of community based HIV services and groups, including welcoming, supportive and peer-led HIV community spaces in Brighton and East Sussex (Eastbourne, Seaford and Hastings). Lunch Positive works closely with the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and the Lawson Unit, taking direct referrals to services and responding to signposted patients.

They have a team member dedicated to helping people engage with their services. The Lunch Positive Support Worker connects with referred and signposted patients, where needed, undertaking an initial meeting and assessment of needs, supporting the patient to establish connections with services and other service users, and providing ongoing support where required.

Their services include:

• HIV lunch clubs and food & friendship groups
• Women’s group
• Peer-support groups & HIV befriending scheme
• Social prescribing
• Advice & information sharing
• Food bank and food outreach, wellbeing programme, and volunteering for people living with HIV
• Every week they support over 120 people living with HIV in Sussex