Resources

This report provides a summary of the hepatitis C good practice roadshow focused on prisons held by HCV Action in Glasgow on 6th December 2018. The event was attended by prison healthcare staff, public health professionals, third sector staff working with prisons or BBVs, and patients. The report includes summaries of the presentations and discussions held on the day.

This independent clinical review commissioned by the Scottish Government assesses the impacts of chronic hepatitis C infection on the health and wellbeing of individuals affected by contaminated blood and blood products. The review recommends that Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme beneficiaries should be able to self-assess regarding the effect hepatitis C has had on their life, and which level of payment they are entitled to as a result. In October 2018, the Scottish Government confirmed it would accept the recommendations of this report.

This HCV Action good practice case study focuses on Edinburgh Access Practice's outreach service, offering testing and treatment for hepatitis C to the homeless population. In the period from March 2014 to December 2016, of the 80 referrals received, 59 patients attended (70%) and 25 started treatment, compared with typical hospital clinical attendance rates of 30-50%. From January 2017 to June 2018 use of DAAs have enabled a further 52 patients to receive treatment at the EAP over the course of just 18 months.

The Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative measures and monitorings the prevalence of blood-borne viruses and injecting risk behaviours among people who inject drugs in Scotland. This report presents the results, at the NHS board level, for the data collection period from February 2015 until March 2016. It also presents the findings of the NESI survey, at Scotland-wide level, from 2008-09 until the most recent survey, 2015-16.