The Hepatitis C Trust recently launched a new report titled 'Eliminating Hepatitis C in Scotland: A Call to Action’. The report is based on an inquiry by The Hepatitis C Trust and the cross-party Scottish Hepatitis C Parliamentary Champions group during 2017, comprising oral evidence sessions and written evidence submitted by bodies working across the hepatitis C patient pathway.
The report provides a detailed analysis of Scotland’s approach to HCV with respect to elimination strategy, disease awareness, prevention, testing and diagnosis, linkage to care, treatment access and funding.
It is a call to action for the Scottish government to produce an effective strategy for reducing HCV incidence and overall prevalence and mortality associated with HCV across Scotland. Other key recommendations suggested by the report include:
- Introduction of opt-out testing for hepatitis C in substance misuse services.
- Need for national guidance on implementing opt-out testing in prisons.
- Reinvesting savings from reduced treatment costs into additional treatment and services.
- Exploration of alternative treatment funding models by the government.
Charles Gore, Chief Executive of The Hepatitis C Trust, commented: “Without renewed efforts to find and treat the thousands of undiagnosed patients living with hepatitis C, Scotland may no longer be considered a world leader in tackling this deadly virus.”
