1-hour hepatitis C tests boost

Published date08 April 2024
Publication titleHuddersfield Daily Examiner
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 hopes 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...

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