The council will face a huge challenge when it takes care of HIV prevention next month, as figures reveal Barnet has one of the highest proportions of people living with the condition in the UK.

Figures released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show one in 280 people living in the borough suffer from HIV, compared to the national average of one in 650 people. The proportion of people living with HIV in the borough has almost doubled over the past 10 years, from one HIV sufferer in every 445 people in 2012.

As of April 1, responsibility for testing for HIV and prevention will pass to Barnet Borough Council. This forms part of a major overhaul to the National Health Service, in which councils will replace primary care trusts as the bodies in charge of public health and commissioning services for their communities.

Given the high prevalence of HIV sufferers in the borough, the National AIDS Trust (NAT) is calling on Barnet Council to prioritise sexual health when it receives the public health budget next month.

Deborah Jack, chief executive of NAT said: “In April, Barnet council will for the first time be responsible for sexual health diagnosis and prevention. It has been allocated £18,335,000 by the Government to spend on public health over the next year, but worryingly within that budget there will be no ring-fencing for HIV.

“We need strong commitment to HIV prevention from Barnet’s councillors to ensure HIV prevention and testing continues to receive the necessary funding.

“Lack of investment in HIV prevention and testing would seriously harm public health, especially in an area like Barnet, which has a high rate of HIV.”

As well as having a high number of sufferers, the HPA figures show 54 percent of people living with HIV in Barnet are diagnosed five years after infection, compared to a national average of 47 percent.

Suzi Price of NAT said: “A late diagnosis means people do not know they have the disease, so they are more likely to practice unsafe sex and infect others. It also means their risk of dying within one year of a HIV diagnosis increases eleven-fold compared to those who are diagnosed promptly.”

She added the high proportion of HIV sufferes in the borough was due to Barnet having a significant number of at risk groups such as gay men and people of African origin.

A council spokesman said:“The council is committed to improving HIV diagnosis and to ensuring best practice in testing for HIV in sexual health clinics and drug and alcohol services.

“We will also target prevention work based on the particular needs of the Barnet population. For example, Barnet has had increasing numbers of black heterosexual women diagnosed in recent years.

“This work will include working closely with community groups to help tackle the stigma associated with HIV and to encourage greater testing and education about the importance of safe sex.”