Equality of Opportunity Committee

Committee Inquiry into Discrimination against People Living with HIV by Healthcare Professionals and Providers

The Committee undertook an inquiry to scrutinise the Welsh Assembly Government, and the healthcare sector, on the work that is underway to ensure equality of access to healthcare services for people living with HIV/AIDS. Including:

• exploring the extent of discrimination against people living with AIDS and HIV within healthcare and other settings by healthcare professionals;

• identifying current clinical guidance on preventing transmission of the HIV virus in healthcare and other settings by healthcare professionals;

• assessing the appropriateness of current policy and practice, in a range of healthcare settings, with particular respect to;

  • the extent to which healthcare policies and procedures are based on myths rather than the clinical evidence base;

  • the extent to which precautionary measures are applied to all patients rather than just those who have been tested for blood bourne diseases;

• reviewing the adequacy of current arrangements to ensure that healthcare providers are aware of the unlawfulness of discriminating against people living with AIDS or HIV in the services they provide under current legislation.