Eliminating Hepatitis C
MSD is proud to be part of the NHS England HCV Elimination Programme, involving collaboration between NHS England, the Hepatitis C Trust, Operational Delivery Networks, the pharmaceutical industry (Abbvie, Gilead and MSD), His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, Drug and Alcohol Addiction Services and the Department of Health and Social Care and UK Health Security Agency.
The UK Government has signed up to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis which commits participating countries to the elimination of HCV as a major public health threat by 2030.1 NHS England is working to surpass the WHO target through a number of initiatives including a unique partnership – The Hepatitis C Elimination Programme.
Outcome Data
The latest data published by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that there were an estimated 70,649 people living in England with hepatitis C in 2022, 45% lower than the number of people in 2015
From: UK Health Security Agency (Published 28 July 2023)
How Do MSD Contribute?
Making Hepatitis C History: Driving Elimination through HCV Case Finding in Primary Care
On 12th September 2022, MSD convened a roundtable to explore ways in which HCV case finding could be optimised within the primary care setting, including methods such as through the increased uptake of the Patient Search Identification (PSI) tool.
The PSI tool is used for HCV case-finding in primary care. It searches for coded HCV risk factors in patient records to identify potentially at-risk patients that should be reviewed and, if appropriate, tested for HCV. The PSI tool can be used to identify patients who already have a positive diagnosis of HCV recorded in their notes but have not yet received or didn’t complete their treatment or were lost to follow-up.
‘Driving Elimination through HCV Case Finding in Primary Care’ shines a light on effective approaches to empower Healthcare Professionals and Patient Organisations with the tools needed to support HCV elimination in England. Our expert faculty of leading specialist HCV clinicians, Primary Care Practitioners and Patient Organisation representatives came up with eight recommendations to deliver improvements to the HCV patient pathway, which are summarised in this report.
Making Hepatitis C History: A Framework for Elimination Report
This report, produced by MSD and advised by expert hepatitis C care providers in the Birmingham area, describes a local example of a HCV Elimination Plan, as a framework to support local government and health leaders in outlining and understanding some of the key steps and considerations needed to support the development of locally tailored hepatitis C elimination strategies.
It describes a local example of a Hep C Elimination Plan as a reference guide for the education of stakeholders from across the NHS and allied services and organisations in other locations.
It serves to build the thinking underpinning the elements needed for the successful elimination of hepatitis C – both in theoretical and practical terms – looking across identification, referral, treatment, continuing care, and how to measure impact and evaluation.
This framework is particularly focused on systems within England but can also be utilised in other regions across the UK.
Working with 24 Operational Delivery networks, set up across England to help manage hepatitis C services at a local level, MSD is supporting elimination through four initiatives
- Point of Care Testing
In partnership with Cepheid, we deployed Cepheid rapid HCV RNA testing equipment to prisons, community projects and outreach services. Delivering rapid finger-prick testing that delivers results in 1 hour which shortens the pathway from diagnosis to treatment. - Patient Search Identification
A case-finding tool which searches for coded HCV risk factors in patient records in primary care settings to identify potentially at-risk patients that should be reviewed and, if appropriate, tested. The PSI tool can be used to identify patients who already have a positive diagnosis of HCV recorded in their notes but have not yet received or didn’t complete their treatment or were lost to follow-up. - Peer-to-Peer Support
Through our partnership with The Hepatitis C Trust (THCT), we have provided a network of peer volunteers with lived experience of HCV to provide education, encouragement and support directly to patients throughout the treatment and care journey. Through this partnership with THCT we are continuing to develop a model that is built within and led by the local community. For example, the work to reach South Asian communities who have a higher prevalence of HCV infection than the general population and have often been excluded from receiving culturally relevant information and interventions. 2 - Community Liaison Officers
Community Liaison Officers work with the operational delivery network clinical teams to align and coordinate hepatitis C services and provide outreach to patients attending clinics, as well as working in homeless hostels, night shelters and drug treatment centers. This is a flexible role which was designed to meet the needs of the local community and ODN.
1 UKHSA Hepatitis C in England 2022 Report: Working to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health problem
Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1057271/HCV-in-England-2022-full-report.pdf
2 UKHSA Hepatitis C in England 2022 Report: Working to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health problem
Available at:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1057271/HCV-in-England-2022-full-report.pdf
