Baroness Barker pays special visit to CRI sexual health clinic

The co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on HIV/Aids paid a special visit to Cardiff to meet clinicians on the frontline of sexual healthcare. 

Baroness Liz Barker, a member of the House of Lords, travelled to Cardiff Royal Infirmary (CRI) on Friday, June 23 to find out more about the innovative work of colleagues in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and the Fast Track Cardiff and Vale programme. 

After being given a tour of the clinic, Baroness Barker spoke to team members in HIV/Aids treatment and prevention and learnt about some of the pioneering initiatives making a difference to patients in Wales, including Texting for Testing (T4T). 

T4T began as a pilot in one GP cluster in south Cardiff and involved sending a text message to all adult patients, encouraging them to find out more about HIV testing and offering them a free test to do in the privacy of their own homes. 

It was found to be effective in increasing testing rates, particularly among people who were at identifiable risk of HIV transmission but had never tested previously, or not recently. 

The APPG also heard about the work of clinical director, Dr Rachel Drayton, who has been instrumental in reducing the health board’s carbon footprint through successful new initiatives.  

One innovative scheme she helped implement involves patients being given the choice of having their bi-annual routine HIV monitoring blood tests taken at their local GP surgery, rather than at Cardiff Royal Infirmary, to minimise unnecessary travel and empower patients at the same time. 

Following the clinical conversations between Baroness Barker, the HIV consultants and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s executive director of public health, Fiona Kinghorn, the group travelled from CRI to the Pride Cymru offices for a round table event featuring some of the most influential people in HIV treatment and prevention.  

The round table discussion featured many prominent figures on HIV/Aids treatment and prevention

Those in attendance included Fast Track Cardiff and Vale Secretary, Lisa Power, Pride Cymru chair Gianpiero Molinu, and vice president of the Royal College of Physicians, Dr Olwen Williams. 

Baroness Barker, co-chair All Party Parliamentary Group HIV and AIDS, said: “To hear first-hand at what is happening in Wales when it comes to its response to HIV was encouraging. The expansion of HIV testing free all year round and access to PrEP outside of Sexual Health Services were specifically interesting.

“The dedication and the hard work of the clinical staff at Cardiff Royal Infirmary, Public Health Wales, Fast Track Cymru, THT Cymru, Pride Cymru and others shows what can be done in ending new transmissions of HIV.  The HIV Action Plan shows that.”