London: Physician-led HIV care pilot drives uptake in testing and treatment, according to report

An initiative to reshape HIV care in general practice across London has been hailed a success after notable increases in HIV testing and statin prescribing.

The London HIV GP Champions Pilot Project, dedicated to improving care for people living with HIV, placed 16 specially appointed GP Champions across the capital to lead innovation in HIV care within primary care settings.

An independent evaluation of the project, published by King’s Business School, King’s College London, assessed the implementation, impact and future sustainability of the initiative.

The report, commissioned by Fast-Track Cities London, shows that the initiative delivered measurable impact across London, with experts recommending continued investment in GP-led models of HIV care, stronger support for consultant input, and the integration of HIV into the wider framework of long-term condition management within the NHS.

“This evaluation contributes important evidence on how distributed leadership, clinical collaboration and a strong ethos of local ownership can generate tangible improvements in HIV testing, patient experience and integration of care,” says Dr. Alec Fraser.

Evaluation highlights include:

• Notable increases in HIV testing and statin prescribing in primary care—the pilot led to a 29% increase in HIV testing in South West London alone, with similar gains reported across other boroughs
• A surge in statin prescribing for people living with HIV over 40, aligning with the latest national clinical guidelines
• Over 2,000 primary care professionals reached through stigma-reduction training
• Stronger collaboration between GPs and HIV consultants, leading to more joined-up care for patients.
• Uptake of the HIV Confident Charter across GP practices, demonstrating visible commitment to tackling stigma.

As a result of the evaluation, experts from King’s Business School recommend extending the funding for the GP Champions approach and providing dedicated resources for HIV consultants who play a role in supporting primary care.

They also suggest developing shared performance metrics to track progress across London, and more broadly, reframing HIV as a long-term condition, to support better integration into general practice and ensure equity of care.

“Our findings reinforce the vital role academic evaluation plays in shaping more effective and equitable public health interventions. This is a clear example of applied research contributing directly to system learning and policy refinement,” says Dr. Juan Baeza.

The evaluation was based on a qualitative case study approach, grounded in implementation science and informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Interviews were conducted with GP Champions, HIV consultants, health system leaders and commissioners across all five Integrated Care Systems in London.