Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that all prisoners in England with hepatitis C can receive the treatment they require, including if they are moved between prisons or reach the end of their sentence mid-treatment.

People in prison diagnosed with hepatitis C virus infection which requires treatment should be referred to specialists for assessment within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral.

Specialist care for hepatitis C patients diagnosed in prison is generally provided as an in-reach, consultant led service linked to the local Operational Delivery Network (ODN) and supported by a prison nurse or general practitioner with a special interest in hepatitis C.

ODNs work with prison healthcare providers and NHS England commissioners to improve care pathways between prisons and the community. Treatment using new Directly Acting Antiviral medication can often be started and completed within one period of incarceration. If a patient is moved to another prison, the receiving prison healthcare team can access their records via the prison health informatics system ensuring continuity of care following patient transfer to another prison. If a prisoner is discharged back to the community before the end of their treatment, prison healthcare teams ensure that the patient is registered with a general practice and can provide a care summary record to support continuity of care.