Lothian Regional AIDS Team

Lothian Regional AIDS team, later Lothian Health Board HIV/AIDS and Drugs Team.

Dr George Bath was Lothian Health Board’s Community Medicine Specialist from 1986. He wrote a comprehensive report in November 1986 calling for a co-ordinated range of AIDS services to be provided by the Health Board (see LHB37/8B/147). At the same time the McClelland Report ‘HIV Infection and Intravneous Drug Misuse’ was published with its own recommendations on best practice. In response to this, Bath’s report was approved by the Planning and Resources Committee of the Health Board on 18th December 1986 and in 1987 an AIDS team was established. The team consisted of the Community Medicine Specialist (Dr Bath), a Health Promotion Officer, Community Psychiatric Nurse, an Administrator and clerical support. It later included staff from Lothian Regional Council. Its main functions were planning and co-ordinating new initiatives in all areas of HIV/AIDS activity and taking a practical part in AIDS prevention and education.

Initially the HIV/AIDS Team was based at the Lothian Health Board headquarters in Drumsheugh Place but moved to the Northern General Hospital in 1991. In July 1992 the team transferred to the newly opened Spittal Street Centre. By 1992 the team had developed sub-teams of health promotion, harm reduction, primary care facilitation and administration.

The Tayler Report to the Scottish Home and Health Department provided further impetus for developments in AIDS services and approval was given for the establishment of a 15-bed AIDS unit at the City Hospital in 1988. At the same time the ‘Take Care’ campaign, the Health Board’s public health information initiative on AIDS started.