Free, confidential sexual health testing and advice will be available at St Nicholas Hospital in Gosforth.
The NHS MELISSA Bus will be parked on site on Thursday 19 February offering testing and advice.
The bus will be parked in the car park next to the Royal Mail depot from 10am – 4pm.
Staff and volunteers from Solutions 4 Health and Blue Sky Trust, providers of sexual health services, will be on the bus to provide free, confidential testing and information.
Testing is available for staff, patients and the public. There is no need to book.
Solutions 4 Health and Blue Sky Trust will also be on hand to chat and answer any questions around sexual health if you don’t want to have a test.
The NHS MELISSA bus is a specially designed double-decker delivering healthcare education and training across the North East and North Cumbria.
The visit comes a week after HIV Testing Week which takes place 9 – 15 February.
HIV Testing Week is an annual campaign to promote and encourage regular testing across England.
It’s estimated 4,700 people are living with undiagnosed HIV in England, meaning they are not accessing care and treatment.
Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that levels of late diagnoses of HIV remain high, with 42% of diagnoses in 2024 made late.
UKHSA also reported that in 2024 people who were diagnosed late in England were 10 times more likely to die within a year than those diagnosed promptly.
That’s why it’s so important to get tested.
- People can live with HIV for a long time without any symptoms and testing is the only way to know your HIV status.
- Testing is quick, easy, confidential and free for everyone in the UK.
- If you have HIV, finding out means you can start treatment, stay healthy and avoid passing on the virus to others
- Anyone diagnosed with HIV in the UK can access free treatment and support
Ways to test
- Via a sexual health clinic
- Via your GP
- HIV and sexual health charities
- Order a test online
More information and resources can be found on the HIV Testing Week website.