NHS expands one-hour testing in bid to eliminate hepatitis C
IT is hoped that thousands more people in England who are unknowingly infected with hepatitis C will be diagnosed and treated as part of an expanded NHS testing initiative.
The move is part of the health service’s goal to eliminate the virus in the coming years.
Portable testing kits which can give a diagnosis of hepatitis C within one hour will be used in community settings, particularly among people at a higher risk of infection such as drug users or homeless people, who may struggle to get to appointments.
Elsewhere, liver damage scanners that provide immediate results will be used in the hope of diagnosing those with liver disease and liver cancer earlier and when the conditions are more treatable.
Checks will be available on community clinical outreach vans, at drug and alcohol support services, and at special testing events in some GP practices.
Once identified, patients will be offered treatment with antiviral medication.
The expansion forms part of the final phase of the health service’s hepatitis C elimination programme.
In December 2022, NHS England said it was on track to eradicate the virus by 2025, years ahead of the World Health Organisation’s 2030 goal.
NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “This investment ensures that the NHS will continue to save thousands of lives and set the international standard in the drive to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030 and, while tackling a significant health inequality.
“We urge anyone who could be living with hepatitis C to get checked for peace of mind – there are a range of ways to get tested, including screening programmes or doing a simple test at home.”
Prof Powis added: “If left untreated, the virus can lead to life-threatening conditions, but treatment is simple, curative and easily accessible.”
Since it started its elimination programme in 2015, NHS England estimates that about 84,000 people have been treated for hepatitis C. Hepatitis C infects and damages the liver, and can cause problems if left untreated.
It is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact and its symptoms – such as fatigue, loss of appetite and stomach ache – can sometimes be mistaken for other conditions.
It is estimated that more than 60,000 people in England could be living with chronic hepatitis C without knowing they have it.
Those at a higher risk include people who use, or have used, drugs, homeless people, prisoners, or people from countries where hepatitis C is endemic.
Rachel Halford, chief executive of the Hepatitis C Trust, said the progress made in patient care and treatment since the charity was established two decades ago “is beyond anything we could have imagined”.
“Not only is there now a reliable cure for hepatitis C but we are also on the verge of eliminating the virus in England,” she added.
Dr Monica Desai, head of hepatitis at the UK Health Security Agency, said elimination “is in reach” if testing is accelerated and support is offered to patients to treat the virus.