HIV at the hospital/general practice interface: bridging the communication divide

Good communication between hospital HIV units and general practitioners is essential if people with HIV are to receive appropriate medical care in the community. However, in the UK the experience of general practitioners looking after people with HIV has been that communication is often inadequate. The reasons for this relate to the way that the HIV epidemic has evolved in the UK and the way that health services providing care in HIV have developed. In this review we will examine the causes of the present situation and suggest ways of improving communication which will have beneficial effects on the care of people with HIV.