Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve detection rates of (a) hepatitis B and (b) hepatitis C.

Public Health England’s (PHE’s) multi-agency National Strategic Group on Viral Hepatitis is committed to working towards the World Health Organization goal to eliminate viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030.

NHS England routinely screen pregnant women for hepatitis B and have also implemented opt-out blood-borne virus testing across prisons. This can be viewed at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/infectious-diseases-in-pregnancy-screening-clinical-guidance#idps-programme-guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-testing-rates-for-blood-borne-viruses-in-prisons-and-other-secure-settings

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance on increasing testing available treatment for hepatitis B and C at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph43

PHE has published evidence reviews, co-produced educational modules, developed health promotional materials on hepatitis B and C infection and launched a hepatitis C patient re-engagement exercise at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-c-interventions-for-case-finding-and-linkage-to-care

https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/info.php?popup=0&id=175

https://publichealthengland-immunisati.app.box.com/s/iptxtlziu57evyejw8zgvhimh0pjwa05

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-c-patient-re-engagement-exercise

In 2019, NHS England made additional resources available to increase hepatitis C case finding and treatment which include: peer to peer support programmes and an incentivised payment model to engage and encourage testing people in high risks groups, and intensive test and treat programmes in prisons settings.