Plight of Brighton HIV charity '˜brought to its knees' raised in Parliament

The Sussex Beacon is facing the prospect of closing services, including its ten bed inpatient unit, following a reduction in the funding it receives from the NHS.

The organisation provides specialist support and care for hundreds of people living with HIV in Sussex each year and was rated ‘outstanding’ by health watchdog the Care Quality Commission in September.

A debate on the availability of HIV treatment, held at Westminster Hall on Wednesday (March 29), heard how many areas were seeing services reduced as ‘commissioning responsibility has not been clearly defined’ in Government legislation.

Mr Kyle explained how Brighton and Hove has more than four times the national average HIV contraction rates and people living with HIV, but also described the ‘incredible preventative work’ carried out by the Terrence Higgins Trust, Stonewall, and other local groups, co-ordinated through the LGBT Forum,.

He said that the funding gap at The Sussex Beacon ‘is bringing an extraordinary organisation to its knees’, adding: “We are in the last chance saloon for that fantastic organisation, which is celebrated beyond Brighton for the services it provides. I urge ministers to consider the specific challenges it faces.”

He described how the split created by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 was having a direct impact on support for people living with HIV with some ‘failing to get the comprehensive care that they need’.

He added: “It is one of the true beacons of health in the community, and I am proud that it exists to provide comprehensive, holistic and tailored care for individuals living with HIV.

“It is incredibly important to the community. Because of the split, however, no one agency is taking overall responsibility for funding the Sussex Beacon any more—not the local authority, and not any of the funding agencies designated to do so by central Government.”

He described how the three Brighton and Hove MPs, along with the leader of the council, had written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt warning about the consequences of not finding a solution to The Sussex Beacon’s funding shortfall.

But Mr Kyle told fellow MPs that ‘sadly’ neither Mr Hunt, nor Prime Minister Theresa May had responded to the letter, but instead passed it on to another agency in the Department of Health for a response, when both had visited The Sussex Beacon for photo opportunities before the 2015 general election.

Public health minister Nicola Blackwood replied: “I was very sorry to hear the comments made by the honourable member for Hove about the Sussex Beacon.

“I am sure that, given his account of the clear local need and the quality of the service, he is holding local commissioners to account for their decision making.

“I am afraid that my recollection is that I had responded to him on that matter, and not an arm’s length body. I am very sorry if there has been confusion, but I am happy to continue the discussion following this debate, so that we can clear it up and ensure that we make progress on it.

“I would not like him to think that we do not take it very seriously indeed.”

For more information visit www.sussexbeacon.org.uk/savethesussexbeacon/