NDPCHS Guest Lecture Series: From 10 A&Es to 87: What opt-out HIV and hepatitis testing reveals about commissioning, evidence, and equity.
Ian Jackson, Chief Executive, Sir Clive Lloyd Healthcare Foundation and National Adviser for Opt‑Out Testing Implementation, NHS England
Tuesday, 29 September 2026, 12.15pm to 1.15pm
Sign up nowThis hybrid event at St Luke's Chapel, Oxford and online, explores the remarkable national expansion of opt-out HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing in NHS Accident & Emergency departments, from an initial pilot in 10 hospitals to 87 sites across England. Drawing on the journey from early implementation to large-scale adoption, Ian will examine how robust evidence, effective commissioning and collaboration across the health system have transformed an innovative pilot into a nationally recognised programme.
Beyond the story of scale-up, the lecture, chaired by Bakita Kasadha, NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department, will consider the wider lessons for public health and healthcare delivery. It will explore how implementation science, surveillance data, clinician behaviour and health economic evidence combined to demonstrate both clinical impact and cost-effectiveness, helping to shape national policy and investment.
The expansion of opt-out testing has significant implications for reducing health inequalities, improving earlier diagnosis and ensuring equitable access to care for populations who may otherwise remain undiagnosed. At this lecture Ian will offer valuable insights for researchers, clinicians, educators, commissioners and policymakers interested in translating evidence into practice and delivering meaningful improvements in population health.