Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the UK's commitment to the elimination of viral hepatitis C by 2030 made at the World Health Organisation in May, what measures they are putting in place to achieve this aim in England, and whether they will reconsider the case for a national improvement framework for hepatitis C.

Several key measures contribute to the United Kingdom’s efforts to achieve the aims of the global strategy, including the national programme of screening of blood donors and blood transfusions for blood-borne viruses to ensure safe supplies. 100% of blood donors are screened with quality assured methods, and national guidance and legislation around infection control in healthcare settings includes a policy for healthcare workers to prevent nosocomial transmission of blood-borne viruses. Prevention efforts focus on minimising harm in people who inject drugs through access to opiate substitution therapies and needle syringe exchange programmes, with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance Needle and syringe programmes, 2014 to support these interventions. NICE guidance Hepatitis B and C testing: people at risk of infection, 2012 has also been published to improve uptake of testing for hepatitis C in various settings. Copies of both publications are attached.

While treatment coverage has been historically low, in 2015, approximately 8000 people infected with hepatitis C were estimated to be treated, an increase of around 40% on the previous year which may reflect improved access to and acceptability of treatments, including the new Direct Acting Antivirals.

Public Health England has published hepatitis C metrics for the report Hepatitis C in the UK 2016 report - Working towards its elimination as a major public health threat. A copy of this report is attached.