A report by Welsh Assembly members recommends that all medical staff and allied health professionals should be trained by specialist consultants and nurses, to ensure that patients suffering from HIV are not discriminated against, when receiving treatment.

The report also recommends a public awareness campaign to help drive out myths about the virus. Public perception about the disease is often incorrect, as beliefs are based on obsolete health campaigns.

Misconceptions such as having HIV means the patient will die are depicted as inaccurate and a general misunderstanding of how HIV is transmitted and treated is described as "unacceptable”.

Committee chair Ann Jones said to the BBC: "It is unacceptable that any person living with HIV should encounter discrimination by healthcare providers and although some improvements have been made, there is still work to be done."

The committee were told that some HIV patients felt they were being referred to specialists unnecessarily, for problems that could be dealt with by their initial point of contact. However, healthcare professionals maintain that they refer the patient because it is in their best interest and that it is not a reluctance to give general health care.

The Disability Discrimination Act was extended in 2005 to give HIV sufferers rights against any unfair dealings, but the AMs’ report found that there is still a stigma attached to the virus. There is little evidence of reported prejudice, but it is argued that someone with HIV could be reluctant to complain formally for fear of injustice during any further treatment.

Ann Jones as cited on the BBC said: ''A key point that this enquiry has highlighted is that there are differences in opinion about whether discriminatory behaviours are the result of a lack of knowledge and experience, or a reflection of discriminatory or prejudicial attitudes.''

“The committee’s recommendation that healthcare workers are sufficiently informed is therefore of pivotal importance.''