Services A to Z

The Health Physics Section within the Department of Clinical Physics and Bio-Engineering (DCPB) provides a Regional Service comprising advice, and a range of highly specialised scientific and technical support services to healthcare establishments utilising radiation in their clinical and other services.

The establishments include all NHS hospitals and health centres within the 8 Health Boards in the West and Borders of Scotland, hospitals run by the Scottish Government, and private organisations for which services are provided on a contractual basis (private dental and veterinary practices). The services include provision of comprehensive advice from qualified radiation experts, scientific and technical services, and reviews of all aspects of radiation protection.

The purpose is to enable employers and staff to comply with all relevant radiation legislation and guidance and to ensure the safety of all patients, staff and visitors who may be exposed to or come into contact with any radiation source. The Health Physics Service maintains a continuing programme of research into the development of techniques relevant to the service.

Have you experienced or seen HIV stigma or discrimination taking place within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) health services? Have you, or someone else been treated differently, or with a lack of respect because you or they are living with HIV? If you have we want to hear about your experience. 

This could be any health service in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, hopefully not related to HIV care, and could have happened any time in the last 3 years.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember all the details just tell us as much as you can.

We collect these experiences to help us to work together to ensure people living with HIV are treated with the dignity, compassion and respect that all patients in NHSGGC can expect.

There are several ways to feedback the experience:

1 – Discuss with the service / clinician

We advise that in the first instance, you speak to the person or team responsible if you are not happy with your treatment, or the treatment of someone you care about. For example, this can the nurse in charge of a ward, or the practice manager at a GP surgery.

The peer support engagement manager can support you to do this.

2 – Stigma Reporting via Brownlee

We have developed a stigma reporting form that the peer support engagement manager views so they can support you. They will contact you if you have provided your contact details, however the form can be completed anonymously.

It is important to note that if you do not provide your contact details you will not receive a direct response to the specific issues you raise. However, your comments will still be used to drive forward change.

3 – Anonymously tell your story on Care Opinion

Patients and families can use Care Opinion provide anonymous feedback about their experiences. Incidents are reviewed by the Patient Experience and Public Involvement Team at NHSGGC who will feedback them directly to service managers. You will receive a response from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

You can watch ‘Care Opinion in 2 minutes‘, a short video explaining how it works.

4 – Feedback to Patient Experience Public Involvement Team (PEPI)

You can give feedback whether good or bad, in a confidential user friendly way to the NHSGGC Patient Experience Public Involvement Team. Simply complete the form with as much information as you can and the PEPI team will make sure this goes to the right services. You will not receive a direct response to the specific issues you raise, but your comments will still be used to drive forward change.

5 – Formal Complaint

The person affected or someone on their behalf can make a formal complaint.

The advice is that you speak to the person or team in the first instance and then escalate if you are not happy with the outcome. The complaints team can help you to do this if you need help. They can give you advice about where to get independent help in making your complaint.

Healthtalk have developed a new, free online resource regarding feeding a baby while living with HIV. The resource looks at the factors influencing how parents living with HIV feed their babies in the UK. The resource was developed using data from the HIV & infant feeding study. 

Access the resource here. 

HIV is a protected characteristic under the 2010 Equality Act and it is illegal to treat someone less favourably because of it. In Scotland we also have The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 which in turn informs The Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities.

In short this means that irrespective of someone’s HIV status they are entitled to fair and respectful treatment when accessing NHS services.

The most important points for people living with HIV are:

• Access –You cannot be denied treatment due to HIV
• Respect –You should be treated with dignity
• Safety –Your care should be effective
• Confidentiality –Your personal health information should be secure

If you feel that any of these are being compromised due to stigma or discrimination, then ask to see someone else, or you can exercise your right to Feedback or Complain

We ask that you:

• Keep appointments or cancel within a reasonable time.
• Follow the course of treatment which you have agreed and talk to you doctor if you find this difficult
• Provide accurate information about your health
• Treat staff with same dignity and respect you would like to receive

Feedback and Complaints

NHSGGC encourages feedback – both positive and negative- about the treatment and care you have received, to help us improve service delivery.

If you wish to feedback your experience of using NHS Services, whether at the Brownlee or in another part of the NHS, or make a complaint, all departments have information available on how to do that.

Brownlee has a suggestions box in the reception area that patients can use to feedback on experiences both good and bad. NHS GGC also has an official Feedback and Complaints system.

If you require inpatient treatment for your HIV you will be admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, where you will be looked after by the Brownlee medical team.

Patients are supported with their physical and mental health in a variety of ways via the multidisciplinary team.

In addition there are a range of services available to help manage emotional and practical issues.

For information on Peer Support, Seminars and Events click here.

Terrence Higgins Trust has a range of support services that runs from their city centre offices.

Waverley Care similarly offers support and advice on a range of issues and their African Health Project is specifically designed to meet the needs of African people living with HIV.

Many patients are infected with both HIV and Hepatitis C, and can access the support services available from Waverley Care.

Hwupenyu Health and Wellbeing is a community based project that provides a range of support services including a food bank and complementary therapies to people living with HIV and other related health conditions. 

Terrance Higigns Trust and HIV Prevention England have created a collection of videos, featuring people living with HIV talking about how treatment has impacted their lives; these can be viewed at YouTube/THT.

As well as being NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s centre for HIV care and treatment, the Brownlee Clinic provides the following services:

• A specialist Infection Medicine service
• A specialist Travel Medicine service

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV attacks the body’s immune system and weakens it over time until it cannot fight off infections and cancers that a healthy person can.  There is no cure for HIV, but very effective treatment means HIV can now be classed as a long-term manageable condition. With this effective treatment people with HIV are living, long and healthy lives.  But as with any long-term condition, being diagnosed with HIV can be a life-changing experience that can have a whole range of emotional and practical implications.   

However, there are a range of services that offer support and guidance on all aspects your life with HIV.

If you are looking for more information then we recommend reading the basics about HIV via NAM and checking out their range of excellent leaflets.

What about AIDS?

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.  AIDS is the name used to describe a combination of potentially life-threatening infections and cancers, which can develop when someone’s immune system has been damaged by untreated HIV. You cannot catch AIDS and there is no AIDS test.  HIV causes AIDS and it is HIV that can be passed on. Just because someone has been diagnosed with an AIDS-related illness, does not mean they will die.  Thanks to effective HIV treatment, many people who develop AIDS are now very well and can look forward to a long and healthy life.

How is HIV transmitted?

HIV is a blood borne virus that is present in the body fluids and tissues of a person living with HIV.  Only blood, genital fluids (i.e. semen and vaginal fluids) and breast milk from an HIV infected person can transmit HIV.  

The main ways HIV can be passed on to someone else are during unprotected sex (vaginal or anal), by sharing any equipment used to inject drugs, and from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, birth or through breastfeeding.  But there are very effective ways of preventing HIV infection in all of these situations.

HIV cannot be transmitted through normal social contact. There is no risk to your friends and family from kissing, hugging or shaking hands – or any other social contact.  You cannot get HIV by being in the same place as someone with HIV, or by sharing household items such as crockery, cutlery, or bed linen. HIV is not passed on by sneezing or coughing or sharing food and drink.

What is PrEP?

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis is a course of anti-HIV drugs which would be taken by people to lower the risk of becoming infected with HIV. Research suggests that PrEP is as effective as condoms at preventing HIV.

PrEP does not protect against any STIs other than HIV and it only protects the person taking PrEP.

For more information on PrEP and how you can access it, see the PrEP FAQ on the Sandyford Initiative website.

Below are a selection of useful links to websites and organisations that you may find helpful or interesting. Most are independent organisations that are not part of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. NHSGGC is not responsible for the content or information contained on these websites.

On this page we have linked to the main website of these organisations, some of which are Scotland or UK wide. Other sections of the Brownlee HIV website have links to local services that some of these organisations provide in NHS GGC. You can find a lot of these services on the patient support page.

• Free Condoms is the NHS GGC free condom service for anyone in NHS GGC who wants them
• HIV Drug Interactions provide a clinically useful, reliable, comprehensive, up-to-date, evidence-based drug-drug interaction resource, freely available to healthcare workers, patients and researchers.
• HIV Stigma is the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde HIV Anti Stigma and Discrimination campaign website.
• Hwupenyu Health and Wellbeing is a service user community based project principally for Black Minority Ethnic communities infected and affected by HIV and other related health conditions.
• i-Base is a treatment activist group committed to providing timely and up to date information about HIV treatment to HIV positive people and to health care professionals.
• LGBT Health & Wellbeing are a community initiative that promotes the health, wellbeing and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Scotland.
• LGBT Youth Scotland is the largest youth and community-based organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Scotland
• Sandyford is the NHS GGC specialist sexual and reproductive health service.
• Steve Retson Project is the NHSGGC specialist sexual health service for gay and bisexual men or men who have sex with men.
• Terrance Higgins Trust Scotland is a charity supporting people living with or affected by HIV and promotes good sexual health to all.
• Ukraine HIV Support website for Ukrainians living with HIV.
• Waverley Care are Scotland’s HIV and Hepatitis C charity.