HIV Action Plan for England, 2025 - 2030
Shared on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.
Ministerial foreword
"We have made huge progress on HIV in England.
"When I was growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, an HIV diagnosis was more often than not a death sentence. People living with HIV often faced severe illness, with limited treatment, little hope and little sympathy. Today, the picture is so much brighter. Early diagnosis, better treatments and easier access to them, mean people living with HIV can lead long and healthy lives, with no risk of passing on the virus. That is an incredible achievement. And while the toxicity of stigma and fear remains, social attitudes to HIV are largely much better.
"However, there is more to do to ensure that everyone, everywhere, gets the support, treatment and care they need when they need it. This is not something one single organisation or individual can achieve, which is why the HIV Action Plan is a collective commitment to one of the most ambitious public health goals of our time: ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030.
"We are trying to do something that has never been done before: to stop the onward transmission of a virus without a vaccine or a cure. We are determined to succeed.
"Our plan is built on collaboration and real-world insight. Over the last year, we have engaged widely - 10 roundtables with over 250 system partners, from industry and primary care to local government, charities and people living with HIV. We added 2 dedicated sessions with more than 60 voluntary and community sector (VCS) representatives, ensuring voices from across the country shaped our approach. This plan is both informed and inclusive. It is also backed by investment of more than £170 million.
"To make good on our ambition to end HIV transmission, we will continue the success of the blood-borne virus emergency department opt-out testing programme, trial HIV testing within the NHS App and improve awareness of HIV prevention for people at risk. We will also take action on the quiet crisis of people diagnosed with HIV but still not accessing treatment due to experience of stigma, discrimination and inequality - backed by the first ever national investment in retention and re-engagement initiatives. This approach builds on the previous action plan and the work of the independent HIV Commission - something I was proud to contribute to as a member.
"Our plan goes further to champion collaboration and inclusivity across every level of the system because it is a plan for all of us: local government, the NHS, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the VCS, people living with HIV, the general public, researchers, clinicians and advocates. And for the first time, the action required to accelerate progress, strengthen leadership and heighten accountability at every level is set out to ensure our efforts remain focused where the need is greatest.
"The startling truth about healthcare in our society is that it can be unequal and unjust. This plan gives us a once in a generation opportunity to shift the dial toward equality and justice. The ingredients for success are within our reach: world-class surveillance and data, evidence-based tools, committed partners and the lessons of the past. But that alone is not enough. To succeed fully, we must have the courage to innovate, the humility to listen and the determination to leave no one behind. Ending new HIV transmissions will not only save lives, it will stand as a defining achievement of compassion, science and collaboration.
"Our task is now clear: to turn decades of progress into lasting change and end HIV transmission, with a bright future for those living with HIV."
Wes Streeting
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Executive summary
We are united with our partners in our ambition to end new HIV transmission within England.
Ending HIV transmission is a national priority, set out in our manifesto and 10 Year Health Plan, and is backed by cross-government and cross-party support. This ambition will be supported by the 3 major shifts our health system needs, and which we are delivering: from hospital to community, from treatment to prevention, and from analogue to digital.
This plan has been developed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), in partnership with UKHSA and NHS England, and informed through extensive engagement with other government departments, local government, voluntary and community sector partners, sexual health stakeholders and people with lived experience. We know that change is possible.
Indeed, incredible progress has already been made - UKHSA has provisionally estimated that in 2024 the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets were once again achieved in England with 95% of all adults living with HIV diagnosed, 99% of adults diagnosed receiving treatment, and 98% of adults on treatment having suppressed viral loads. This is a phenomenal achievement but we know there is still more to be done.
This plan turns commitment and ambition into action, and progress into lasting impact. It is built on partnership, robust evidence and lived experience. Building on the listening exercise for the 10 Year Health Plan, we have incorporated the voices of over 250 key system partners at multiple roundtables - including representatives from industry, primary care, local government, charities and people living with HIV - alongside engagement sessions involving more than 60 VCS representatives.
Delivery will require the combined efforts, commitment and innovation of all the people and organisations who have contributed to the development of this plan and the government will work in partnership to turn our shared ambitions into reality.
Learn more
England is at a pivotal moment in the fight against HIV. In the past 5 years, we’ve made major progress in prevention, testing, PrEP use and treatment. Over 2 decades, the epidemic has been transformed.
Read the full action plan from the Department of Health and Social Care.