Professionals
Welcome to the Hep C U Later Professionals page
Professionals working within areas of health, social care and the community all come into contact with people who may be at risk of hepatitis C. Extensive work to has taken place in many areas of healthcare to improve testing, treatment and prevention, through improving pathways, forming collaborations, and using creative approaches.
It is estimated that around 60,000 people in England currently have hepatitis C and they may be unaware they have the infection. To support the World Health Organisation’s global viral hepatitis elimination strategy and NHS England’s goal of eliminating hepatitis C in England prior to the 2030 target we have pulled together key resources for professional groups.
Although everyone can do something to help eliminate hepatitis C in England, our professionals pages give relevant resources to some of these professional areas. If you are a professional and want to get in touch to explore what you can do email us at: connect.HepCULater@mpft.nhs.uk
Hepatitis C and Health Inequalities
Organisations, such as ICBs, aiming to deliver on the Core 20 PLUS 5 should consider how hepatitis C interventions can be further embedded into services as hepatitis C often affects those in the most deprived percentiles of the population, affects inclusion health groups/people with protected characteristics, and can support the intended reduction in preventable cancer diagnoses. Additionally, hepatitis C interventions can assist services to tackle other co-occurring conditions.
The Benefits of Improving Access to Hepatitis C Testing, Prevention and Treatment
Not only does improving access to hepatitis C testing and treatment improve the lives of people affected by it, preventing liver disease, liver transplants, and liver cancer caused by the virus can lead to cost savings for the NHS. Not taking action to ensure the remaining people with an active hepatitis C infection are identified and treated as early as possible has cost implications and can add additional stress to the healthcare system because of hospital waiting lists, admission rates and premature mortality.