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HIV Outpatients Service

Find out about HIV care at the Lawson Unit, what to expect at appointments and how to transfer or return to our service.

smiling woman reception

Who is this service for?

We offer care to people living with HIV. If you are living with HIV and would like to find out more about how to access care with us, please get in touch. 

HIV Care hub

Where is this service?

The HIV Outpatients Clinic is based at The Lawson Unit.

When is this service available?

Appointments are available every day of the week apart from Saturday and Sunday.

Information:

Please note that all our clinics are closed on public bank holidays

What to expect at an appointment  

We offer both nurse appointments and doctor appointments in this service. You will normally have a nurse appointment a few weeks before seeing a doctor.  

Nurse appointments

  • Blood tests – these appointments are for routine blood tests and should not take any longer than 20 minutes.
  • Annual health checks – we will discuss and assess aspects of your physical and psychological health. This appointment takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Sexual health screening – we offer all patients routine screening for sexually transmitted infections, and referrals to the sexual health clinic for patients who attend with symptoms

Doctor appointments  

You will usually see a doctor or clinical nurse specialist every six months, this may need to be more frequent if you are newly diagnosed or new to our service.  

They will go through the results of any recent tests you have had with us and make sure you are happy with the medication you are taking. 

Transferring your care to us 

If you have recently moved to the area and have been receiving your HIV care at a different clinic it is easy to transfer your care to us. Call us on 01273 664722 (Option 1), or email us at [email protected] to register as a patient with us.  

We will provide you with a registration form and book a transfer appointment for you.  

Returning to care 

We understand that there are lots of reasons why people might not currently be receiving HIV care, and you are welcome to contact us to discuss how we can help support you back into care. Please call us on 01273 664722 (Option 1). 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the HIV Outpatients Clinic  

We work in teams which consist of senior doctors, junior doctors, and nurses and where possible you will be seen by the same doctor or someone from that team. 

Once you are happy taking your treatment you will only need to come to the clinic every six months. More frequent appointments are needed when starting or switching to a new treatment.  

Please make a note of how many tablets you have at home before coming to each appointment. You will be given a prescription by your doctor to last until your next visit. If you realise you are running low and don’t have enough until you see your doctor, please contact the pharmacy team on 01273 664948, it may take 24 hours for your prescription to be written. 

We offer a telephone triage system in the Lawson unit during opening hours.  

Triage is a way to assess and direct you to the most appropriate treatment or centre.  

If you feel unwell or are concerned you may have an HIV related issue, phone the clinic and one of our reception staff will take your details and arrange for one of the nurses to contact you and discuss your concerns, and advise you of the most appropriate action.  

If you have an urgent HIV related problem when the Lawson Unit is closed you can call the Clinical Infection Ward on 01273 696955 ext 62049 for advice.

For any other urgent medical issue, please contact your GP, NHS 111 or, if life threatening, attend A&E.   

For any health problems which are not related to HIV, please visit your GP. 

We work closely with our research team on HIV related research projects. Opportunities to take part in research may be discussed with you at your appointment.