A vision for hepatitis C: Test, treat, cure

Our plan for change

The Hepatitis C Coalition has established eight calls for tackling hepatitis C. We need everyone to play their part in eliminating the virus.

There is an unprecedented opportunity to improve services and outcomes for people with the virus significantly. The new NHS and public health commissioning environments can be used to drive improvements and, if advances in cost-effective treatments are matched by improvements in service delivery, the elimination of hepatitis C from the UK is achievable.

Seizing this opportunity requires strong national leadership, co-ordination and oversight.

1. Ministers and political parties to commit to halving hepatitis C related liver cancers and deaths by 2020 and eliminating the virus by 2030
2. The Department of Health to take lead responsibility for an implementation plan to replace the 2004 Action Plan for Hepatitis C and ensure a coordinated and effective approach to testing, treating and curing people with the condition and the prevention of new infections
3. A Hepatitis C Elimination Group, reporting formally to Ministers, to be established to co-ordinate the work of the relevant health organisations in improving services, comprising the relevant statutory and non-statutory organisations and patient, clinical and local government representatives
4. Testing for hepatitis C and other blood-borne viruses to be provided in a range of healthcare settings to maximise coverage, working to nationally-agreed performance standards as part of structured care pathways
5. Commissioners to ensure that, as a core part of contracts, service providers collect and report data on their hepatitis C outcomes to standards set by Public Health England
6. NHS England’s specialised commissioners to ensure the availability of services and NICE-approved treatments for all patients diagnosed with hepatitis C in line with international guidelines
7. Industry to ensure that new therapies are priced to meet NICE criteria for cost-effectiveness for the whole hepatitis C patient population
8. Commissioners to work proactively with voluntary sector groups providing advice and support to patients with hepatitis C and to develop prevention strategies targeted at people at risk of contracting the virus

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