The Department of Health and Social Care “is continuing to work closely” with NHS England, other health agencies and local authorities “to plan for a seamless transition from the PrEP Impact Trial to routine commissioning from April 2020”. The written statement by the Public Health Minister, Jo Churchill, was in answer to a parliamentary question by Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP. It was posted on Twitter by the Terence Higgins Trust on 28 October, following a meeting between the Minister and the Trust.
PrEP is one of the areas addressed in the newly published Government Response to the Health and Social Care Committee report on Sexual Health. However, the Response contains no further details beyond stating that “DHSC, with NHS E&I, PHE and local government are currently undertaking technical work on possible commissioning models for PrEP.”
Terence Higgins Trust tweeted that it will be “holding the DHSC to account” on the issue.
In England, PrEP is currently available only through the PrEP impact trial. The trial has been dogged by delayed opening of centres, funding disputes and shortages of places, with the result that people seeking PrEP have been turned away in some areas.
