With the launch of the Hepatitis C Action Plan for Scotland Phase II, the Scottish Government has promised over £43 million to help tackle the spread of this virus. The plan will help to significantly improve testing, treatment, care and support services for Hepatitis C across Scotland. In addition, in order to increase prevention, national education and awareness initiatives will also be increased.

The British Government risks falling behind Scotland in its provision of Hepatitis C services. The Hepatitis C Resource Centre England encourages the Government to re-think its current approach, and to learn from the experiences of the Scottish process

At present, the Action Plan for England has several barriers to effective implementation;

- It was not financed as a 'whole intervention' hence large scale funding has therefore not been forthcoming to make implementation of the plan effective and immediate

- The Scottish Action Plan has clear lines of accountability, monitoring and communication, something which is sorely lacking in the English version

- The lack of stakeholder and patient consultation around both the implementation and drafting of the English Plan has become even more apparent. During the Scottish consultation, a variety of working groups were established followed by a national stakeholder event which utilized digital voting on actions and recommendations.

- The Scottish document is evidence based. 2 years were spent collating and reviewing all available evidence to determine the most effective interventions and approaches.

The result of this lacklustre plan has been the persistent spread of Hepatitis C coupled with continued lack of real public awareness about treatment, testing and support. It is estimated that 231,000 people in England have Hepatitis C, yet only an estimated 27% of these remain diagnosed.

Despite attempts to collate data by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL), a national picture of how many people who test positive for chronic Hepatitis C virus are referred, take up, and complete treatment in different areas is not available

The image of people living with Hepatitis C is generally associated with injecting drug use and chaotic lifestyles which misrepresents many people living with the virus. This image and the fear of stigmatisation it evokes, can prevent people from seeking treatment and intervention.

On June 3rd and 4th, England will host the 10th International Conference on Hepatitis C through the charity Mainliners and its Hepatitis C Resource Centre. In light of this, we urge the Government to commit to an inclusive and extensive policy of prevention and treatment, which could ease the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

" The Scottish Government is to be congratulated on recognising Hepatitis C as a major public health concern, providing the finance and interventions to tackle this disease. England must do likewise on an even larger scale and we would urge the Dept of Health to revise its 2004 Action Plan in light of the evidence base now available in order to move beyond tentative action if it is to prevent thousands of cases of Hepatitis C-related liver failure and death in coming years," said Dr Nicola Rowan, Director of Blood Borne Viruses for The Resource Centre.

Organisation Information

Hepatitis C Resource Centre England is a project of Mainliners, a national blood borne virus and harm reduction charity. Mainliners continues its vision to reach those most vulnerable across the UK by its progressive and innovative work. We work under the core principles of harm reduction and blood borne virus prevention, as well as treating our clients with respect and dignity through the vital and active participation of service users.

Currently, Mainliners runs several projects which extend these principles both locally and nationally;

1. The Hepatitis C Research Centre - The Centre works to disseminate information, support and advice on all aspects of Hepatitis C. It does this through web-based resources, a telephone helpline, events, training and distribution of leaflets and posters which raise awareness of Hepatitis C. The Centre works in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure that the vital messages about Hepatitis C are firmly in the public arena. The Centre is funded by the Scottish Government and Dept of Health, England.

2. C Plus - C Plus is a new, confidential information, advice and support service for individuals living with or affected by Hepatitis C. Its services are available for anyone in Edinburgh and the Lothians and are delivered in line with the values and aims of Mainliners. C Plus is funded by NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council, Drug and Alcohol Action Team.

3. SMART - SMART is the Streatham Mainliners Assessment Referral Team, established in 1999, as a direct-access service for the growing number of people with drug related issues in the South Lambeth area of London.

4. Outreach Service - Mainliners Outreach Team runs a mobile needle exchange in the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark.

http://mainliners.org.uk