Terrence Higgins Trust

Terrence Higgins Trust
Name	Terrence Higgins Trust
Formation	1982
Headquarters	London
Type	Charity
Purpose	HIV and sexual health services
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chief Executive

Terrence Higgins Trust is a British charity founded in 1982 that provides HIV prevention, testing, treatment support, and sexual health services across the United Kingdom. It emerged during the early AIDS crisis and has since engaged with clinical, political, and community actors to influence public health policy and social attitudes. The organisation operates clinics, runs national campaigns, conducts research, and works in partnership with healthcare providers and civil society organisations.

History

The organisation formed in response to the early 1980s AIDS epidemic, with connections to activists and clinicians linked to institutions such as St Thomas' Hospital, Royal Free Hospital, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Mortimer Market Centre, and community groups including Gay Men's Health Crisis, AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, Stonewall, LGBT Foundation, and Switchboard (UK). Early supporters included public figures from media and culture who liaised with policymakers in bodies like Department of Health and Social Security (UK), Department of Health (UK), and the National Health Service. The charity’s development intersected with events such as the AIDS epidemic, debates in the House of Commons, and campaigns influenced by activists from ACT UP and allies in organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie (charity). Over decades the charity adapted to biomedical advances including antiretroviral therapy approved by regulators like the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and influenced clinical practice in specialist centres such as University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

Mission and services

The charity’s mission centers on reducing HIV transmission and supporting people living with HIV through services comparable to those offered by clinics at Royal London Hospital, King's College Hospital, and community sexual health providers such as Brook (charity), Terrence Higgins Trust-linked volunteers, and outreach via organisations including MIND (charity) and Shelter (charity). Services include rapid and laboratory HIV testing, linkage to care with teams at Public Health England, referral pathways to antiretroviral prescribers at National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and psychosocial support akin to programmes run by The Samaritans and CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). The trust also operates telephone and online support lines modeled on services like NHS 111 and collaborates with sexual health educators from institutions such as The Terrence Higgins Trust (name not linked per instruction) and schools involved with Ofsted-inspected programmes.

Campaigns and advocacy

Campaign activity has targeted prevention measures including pre-exposure prophylaxis endorsed by bodies like European Medicines Agency, campaigns in partnership with media outlets such as BBC, Channel 4, and The Guardian, and advocacy before parliamentary committees including the Health and Social Care Committee (House of Commons). The charity has campaigned on stigma reduction in alliance with civil society actors like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Equality and Human Rights Commission, and LGBTQ+ organisations such as Mermaids (charity), LGBT Youth Scotland, and Stonewall. It has lobbied for policy change at the level of the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Assembly and engaged in public health dialogues with World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Research and education

The charity funds and disseminates research in collaboration with academic partners including University College London, King's College London, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of Manchester, University of Glasgow, University of Birmingham, University of Edinburgh, and research networks such as National Institute for Health Research. Outputs inform clinical guidance by NICE and public health strategies by Public Health England and international agencies like WHO. Educational initiatives reach professionals in settings such as NHS Trusts, schools inspected by Ofsted, and community forums run alongside organisations like Brook (charity) and Citizens Advice. The trust also contributes to surveillance and cohort studies comparable to registries maintained by UK Collaborative HIV Cohort Study and specialist units at Mortimer Market Centre.

Organisation and governance

Governance is exercised by a board of trustees and executive management interacting with regulators including the Charity Commission for England and Wales and funders such as National Lottery Community Fund and Big Lottery Fund. The charity interfaces with NHS commissioners in Clinical Commissioning Groups and integrated care systems, and with statutory agencies like Public Health Wales and Health and Social Care (Northern Ireland). Leadership engages with professional bodies including the Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of General Practitioners, and British Medical Association. The organisation’s governance has been scrutinised in media outlets such as The Guardian, The Telegraph, and BBC News.

Funding and partnerships

Funding streams include grants from foundations like Wellcome Trust, The Elton John AIDS Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and corporate partnerships with firms reminiscent of collaborations seen with Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, and pharmaceutical companies regulated by MHRA. The trust partners with charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK, Terrence Higgins Trust partners (name not linked per instruction), and local authorities across boroughs including London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark, and city councils like Birmingham City Council. International collaboration has taken place with agencies including UNAIDS, WHO, and research funders such as Wellcome Trust.

Impact and criticism

The charity has been credited with influencing testing uptake, contributing to declines in new HIV diagnoses in partnership with NHS services and public health agencies like Public Health England and NHS England. It has faced criticism over resource allocation and governance similar to critiques leveled at large health charities discussed in outlets such as Private Eye and reports by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Debates have involved relationships with pharmaceutical partners like Gilead Sciences and ViiV Healthcare, the balance between prevention and treatment services, and representation of diverse communities such as Black African networks, transgender support groups exemplified by Mermaids (charity), and faith-based organisations including Caritas Internationalis-linked charities.

Category:HIV/AIDS organisations in the United Kingdom