HIV in Tameside and Glossop

posted: 15/09/2010

George House Trust has completed a HIV Needs Assessment for Tameside and Glossop. It involved a survey and discussions with local people with HIV, a detailed study of the HIV statistics and use of treatment, community and social services. Key prefessionals involved in providing services were interviewed and a report with recommendations has been passed to Tameside & Glossop Primary Care Trust and Tameside Metropolitan Council. The Tameside and Glossop Needs Assessment is to assist HIV service planning and development.

There are significant changes that will be affecting the NHS, Tameside Adult Care, the AIDS Support Grant, and funding challenges, all of which mean the context for this assessment has many uncertainties.
 

Generally Working Well

Health, social and community care for Tameside & Glossop residents with and affected by HIV are generally well regarded and working well.
 

There are 157 residents of Tameside and Glossop known to be living with HIV, who were receiving HIV care in 2009. Around one quarter to one third of people with HIV do not yet know this; the total HIV population is likely to be around 210.
 

Survey and number crunching

30 people (20% of people living with HIV in the district) took part in an online and paper survey, others attended a focus group, and interviews with key professionals built on the findings from detailed analysis of the published statistical data and records of service use.
 

Prejudice, Stigma and Discrimination

The challenge that people with HIV face is that HIV is a long-term incurable condition that evokes strong prejudice and discrimination among others, and that bears disproportionately on sections of the community that are already marginalised. The HIV prejudice and discrimination is what makes accessing most services and resolving most of life’s challenges far more complex for people with HIV.
 

Challenges

Some of the challenges for Tameside and Glossop service providers and commissioners are 

• HIV among injecting drug users has become over-looked and there is a gap in HIV awareness, prevention and support services that risks further HIV transmissions. 
• Late diagnosis of HIV is a problem across North West England, and Tameside and Glossop has among the worst rates in England. 
• The proportion of older people (over 50 years) with HIV, who usually have more complex needs, is relatively high in Tameside & Glossop and is set to grow significantly, from around 19% to nearly half within the next ten years. 
• Children’s Social Work and Safeguarding Children Board needs to change their practice, to support and protect vulnerable young people with HIV. 
• Better co-ordination and strategic planning for HIV health and social care is required.
• Existing social care services have much to offer that would meet the needs of people with HIV locally. Outreach social services need to become HIV aware, accessible and HIV-friendly and be actively promoted to people with HIV.

Work Incapacity Tests – Have Your Say

posted: 09/08/2010

You can have your say in an independent review of how people’s fitness for work is checked by a medical, when claiming benefits for being too ill or disabled to work. People who claim Employment and Support Allowance have medical assessments as part of their claim. These are called ‘Work Capability Assessments’. The fairness of these is now being checked. We know many people with HIV are having serious problems with these.

Also people in Burnley who are on Incapacity Benefit are being put through these medicals as part of a national pilot. Beginning in February, everyone else on Incapacity Benefit will have to have one of these medicals. Many people living with HIV claim these two benefits.
 

Problems lead to review

The fairness of these medical assessments is being checked by an independent national review, led by Professor Malcolm Harrington, who is an occupational health expert. He will produce a report by the end of the year on whether the assessments are fair and transparent.
 

Have your say

You can have your say, based on your experience by Friday 10 September.

They ask a number of questions, but you don’t even need to answer these – simply say what happened to you, and whether you think the system works for people with HIV, or you could give plain and simple answers to questions 2, 3 4, and 6. Most of the questions are aimed at benefits experts.
 

Email your comments

or post your comments to WCA Independent Review Team, Floor 6, Section B, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NA.
 

What benefits and disability experts think
Disability charities say the current assessments tests are inflexible, and fail to take into account how long-term conditions (like HIV) can vary from day to day, or from week to week. George House Trust knows there are serious problems with the way these incapacity assessments are done and that people with HIV face a high rate of wrong refusals.
 

Atos Healthcare (who have the government contract for doing Employment Support Allowance assessments) appear to refuse to record basic HIV information like people’s CD4 count, admit their own ignorance about HIV and unwillingness to learn about HIV, don’t refer people with HIV to doctors for a full medical assessment as they should do, refuse to consider the ‘exceptional circumstances’ rules (regulations 29 and 35), and ignore medical reports from HIV doctors.
 

The advisers at Manchester Advice who specialise in HIV have won appeals before they can even say a word. Independent Tribunals have shown they are disturbed and surprised that plain evidence of obvious incapacity for work due to HIV is ignored, and at the failure to follow the rules.

 

50 Pounds Prizes for Tameside and Glossop People

posted: 23/07/2010

There are two prizes of £50 each for winners drawn out of a hat. If you live in Tameside and Glossop district, please take part in our confidential and anonymous survey into the needs of people living with HIV.

Tameside & Glossop NHS and Tameside Council have asked George House Trust to do a HIV Needs Assessment. As part of this we need to know what people living with and affected by HIV think about services and what's needed.
 

Those £50 prizes
The two prizes of £50 cash will be paid to winners drawn from all replies. If you want to be in the prize draw we will need some way to contact you if you win, but the survey is anonymous and confidential. The survey is on a secure website like a bank - one with a https  web address.
 

Take Part Now The survey is online now at SurveyMonkey. If you tried before but couldn't take part, sorry for the technical fault, it is open now.

Or you can download and print a paper copy and then post your answers to Chris at George House Trust. Or ask the HIV clinic at Ashton Primary Care Centre for a copy.

Deadline for prize draw  - Tuesday 24 August

Come and Talk About HIV Needs - Monday 23 August

On Monday 23 August, between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, Chris Morley from George House Trust will be at the Volunteer Centre, 95-97 Penny Meadow, near Ashton u Lyne bus station, for people living in the district to talk about HIV services and their needs.

Tea, coffee, snack food and reasonable travel expenses available.

How to find Tameside Volunteer Centre - map and directions

email Chris for more information

Need help to have a say?

We want everyone with HIV in Tameside and Glossop to be able to have their say. If you, or someone you know, wants to take part but needs help in some way, please contact Chris by email, phone 0161 274 4499, or post to Chris, George House Trust, FREEPOST NWW 1004, Manchester, M12 9GH, and we will do what we can to help.

Your Say

George House Trust is committed to involving HIV positive people in our work for Councils and the NHS. We know a strong service user voice is important. However we have no control over the decisions that Tameside & Glossop NHS and the Council may make following this consultation and our report. On this website we will report the results of this consultation and the recommendations, in the autumn.

How Fair Are Incapacity Tests?

posted: 30/06/2010

The government has just announced an independent review of how they assess the fitness of people claiming benefits for being too ill or disabled to work. People who claim Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit have medical assessments to help decide their claim. Many people living with HIV claim these benefits.

The fairness of medical assessments will be examined in a national review of incapacity assessments, chaired by Professor Malcolm Harrington, an occupational health expert. He will produce a report by the end of the year on whether the assessments are fair and transparent.
 

Burnley first
It has also just been announced that Burnley people, including people living with HIV, will be among the first to transfer from Incapacity Benefit to Employment Support Allowance – and that will involved one of the assessments that are about to be reviewed.
 

Ministers have said they will starting two pilots projects to reassess the 2.6 million existing incapacity benefit claimants using the Employment Support Allowance rules. 1,700 people claiming Incapacity Benefit in Burnley and Aberdeen will start to be reassessed from October 2010, and then this reassessment will be extended nationwide from February 2011.
 

The assessments try to decide whether people claiming the benefits are in fact able to work, or whether they need some support, or whether they cannot work at all and need full sickness benefits for being unable to work at all.
 

Assessments not fair and not working
Disability charities say the current assessments tests are too inflexible, and fail to take into account how long-term conditions (like HIV) can vary from day to day, or from week to week. George House Trust knows there are serious problems with the way these incapacity assessments are done and that people with HIV face a high rate of wrong refusals.
 

Atos Healthcare (who have the government contract for doing Employment Support Allowance assessments) appear to refuse to record basic HIV information like someone’s CD4 count, admit their own HIV ignorance, don’t refer people with HIV to doctors for a full medical assessment as they should, refuse to consider the ‘exceptional circumstances’ rules (regulations 29 and 35), and ignore medical reports from HIV doctors.
 

The advisers at Manchester Advice who specialise in HIV are winning appeals almost before they open their mouths. Independent Tribunals are disturbed and surprised at how plain evidence of obvious incapacity for work due to HIV is ignored, and the failure to follow rules and proper procedures.
 

Disability Discrimination

George House Trust believe this is strong evidence suggesting disability discrimination in the way people with HIV are treated by Atos Healthcare and the Department for Work and Pensions. We are considering formal complaints and other action. 
 

Additional details added to Source 

HIV, Equalities Impact Assessment

posted: 22/06/2010

The Department of Health has produced a report about the current inequalities in sexual health, the national policies to reduce and eliminate these inequalities, and an action plan to improve national sexual health policy by continuing to narrow them.
 

It includes a chapter about HIV and the equalities aspects of this in England. This includes the impact of HIV on gay and bisexual men, and Africans, and women in England.
 

This Equalities Impact Assessment will be one of the key documents influencing the next national Sexual Health Strategy, when the current sexual health strategy ends next year in 2011.
The document is available to download here on the DH website.