NHS blood borne virus testing rollout identifies hundreds of new cases

More than 800 people living with hepatitis C, B and HIV not receiving treatment have been found by the NHS in just six months following the rollout of routine testing in A&E.
In April 2022, the NHS made £20 million available over three years to implement routine HIV opt out testing within 33 hospital Emergency Departments, in areas with the highest rates of diagnosed HIV.
Latest NHS data shows the programme is already having success, with 834 newly identified cases of people living with the HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C found between April and September following its launch – while 153 people, who were previously diagnosed, but were not receiving NHS care, were also identified.
Under the programme, people visiting an Emergency Department are offered a discreet test which screens for the HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses when full bloods are taken. If the test comes back positive for the HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C viruses, the person is offered specialist support and a treatment plan is put in place for them.
Earlier this year NHS took further action to help up to 80,00 more people get potentially life-saving treatment for hepatitis C by rolling out a new screening pilot scheme.
Under the pilot, the NHS will identify people who might have the virus by searching health records for a number of key hepatitis C risk factors, such as historic blood transfusions or those with HIV.
Anyone identified through the new screening process will then be invited for a review by their GP, and if appropriate, further screening for hepatitis C.
Rachel Halford, CEO of The Hepatitis C Trust said: “Testing for blood-borne viruses is essential to help detect, treat and support the elimination of these diseases. The symptoms of hepatitis C are often vague and people are unaware that they have it. If you test positive for hepatitis C, treatment is easy and 95% of people are cured in just a few months.
“By testing at emergency departments, we are able to learn more about the prevalence of blood-borne viruses in the community and work with NHS England and our partners to reduce these numbers and save lives. The high rate of positive hepatitis B and C tests indicates that more must be done to raise awareness of these conditions among the public.
“Although there is a clear pathway for treatment for hepatitis C, we are concerned about the high numbers of positive hepatitis B tests at emergency departments. The government must take steps to understand why this is happening and ensure that hepatitis B treatment is accessible and well-funded.”