Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust celebrates pioneering 35 years of HIV care and prevention

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital marks 35 years of HIV care at the Trust and celebrates the 35^th anniversary of the Kobler clinic.

The Kobler Clinic was first opened on 13^th September 1988 by Diana, Princess of Wales, and became the first NHS service designed specifically for HIV patients. Based within the St Stephen’s Centre on Fulham Road, the Kobler Clinic is now one of the largest specialist HIV units in Europe, seeing approximately 5,000 patients. The Kobler Clinic has contributed to leading research, innovation and care, highlighting the pioneering work led by Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust.

Over 80 guests attended on the evening of 6^th December 2023, , Kobler staff members (both past and present), as well as representatives from, charities and organisations that dedicate their time to caring for those living with HIV, including Gilead, Positively UK, NAM, the Terrence Higgins Trust and Fast-Track Cities.

Following the celebration, Roger Chinn, Chief Medical Officer, shared ‘We are rightly proud of our sexual health and HIV care services at the Trust. It was a pleasure to celebrate the Kobler Clinic’s pioneering work in HIV care and prevention throughout the past 35 years alongside staff from the Clinic, the sexual health teams, service users and charity representatives’.

The event recognised the achievements and milestones of Kobler and the work of the Trust’s sexual health clinics over the past 35 years as well as music from special guest and Kobler service user, DJ Fat Tony.

The evening culminated in a panel-style discussion, hosted by Dr Marta Boffito, Clinical Director of HIV, Sexual and Gender Health, Dermatology, which took guests on a journey to the past, present and future of HIV care at the Trust. Panellists included Dr Graeme Moyle, Director of HIV Research Strategy, Dr Tara Suchak, Service Lead for 56 Dean Street and Director of TransPlus, and Dr Edu Peres , Speciality Doctor in HIV Medicine, who discussed how HIV care has progressed over the past 35 years and how we are working to reach the UK Government’s goal as part of the HIV action plan; to end infections and deaths by 2030. [1]  Service users DJ Fat Tony and Krithia also shared their own, heart-felt experiences living with HIV and the outstanding care they have received from the Trust’s sexual health clinics and staff.

DJ Fat Tony explained, ‘The Kobler Clinic is the reason why I’m still here today and I will forever be grateful to the long list of incredible doctors, nurses and researchers that have contributed toward its astounding legacy over the years’.

35 years on, our HIV team are still leading the way in HIV care and innovation with their pioneering work in digital solutions. First introduced as a pilot in Kobler Clinic in 2018, Klick is an app-based pathway of care for people living with HIV based, which allows patients to take autonomy over their own HIV care. To date, 5,200 patients from our Kobler and Dean Street clinics have registered for Klick, and it has garnered over 2,000 monthly app users.

Looking to the future, the Trust is committed to supporting the Government’s HIV action plan, while reducing healthcare inequalities in our communities by reaching those at high-risk of contracting HIV including ethnic minorities and lower income groups.

Thank you to everyone that helped us to celebrate 35 years of HIV care at the Trust and Kobler Clinic’s 35^th anniversary. 

About Kobler

The Kobler Clinic was established in 1988 in the newly constructed St Stephen’s Centre and from the outset, a new multi-disciplinary approach was adopted in the treatment of patients with AIDs. It was the first NHS service designed specifically for HIV patients. Today, the Kobler Clinic is the largest specialist HIV Unit in Europe, seeing approximately 5000 patients, and is comprised of both a day care unit and outpatient clinic. The Clinic is an early adopter of new technologies and digital solutions with their introduction of Klick, an app-based pathway of care that allows patients to take autonomy over their own HIV care.

[1] Health Secretary announces goal to end HIV transmissions by 2030. Press release. UK Government, London [updated 30 January 2019, cited 3 November 2022]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/health-secretary-announces-goal-to-end-hiv-transmissions-by-2030