June 2025
The Operational Delivery Network (ODN) model was established by NHS England in April 2015, following the arrival of direct acting antiviral (DAA) treatments for hepatitis C, as a way of providing consistent and comprehensive hepatitis C services across England. Initially 22 ODNs were established, which increased to 24.
The ODN model, which has improved patient pathways in several condition areas, has been widely regarded as successfully transforming the delivery of hepatitis C treatment and care services and playing a key part in enabling the significant progress towards eliminating hepatitis C in England.
ODNs are clinical networks with responsibility for planning, managing and overseeing all clinical pathways for hepatitis C in a given geographical area. They are responsible for the venue, methodology and amount of testing taking place and the subsequent pathway to (and success of) clinical treatment. ODNs operate on a ‘hub and spoke’ model, with one NHS Trust in the geographical area considered a specialist centre acting as the ‘hub’, with responsibility for managing relationships and delivery with a defined set of Trust-based ‘spokes’. ODNs are also responsible for working collaboratively with non-NHS community organisations where there are at-risk populations to support testing and easy access to treatment.
To inform the future approach to commissioning hepatitis C treatment and care services, HCV Action worked with Dr Ryan Buchanan, Clinical Lead of the Wessex ODN, and Sarah Montague, ODN Manager of the Nottingham ODN, to undertake an exercise aiming to evaluate the ODN model. The exercise sought to gain an understanding of ways in which the ODN model has been a success, but also any ways in which it could be more effective.
The evaluation involved a survey and an online focus group between September and December 2024, which collectively gathered the insights of 48 people who have worked for or with hepatitis C ODNs – including ODN Clinical Leads, ODN Managers, ODN Data Leads, hepatologists, specialist nurses, Hepatitis C GP Champions, third sector peer-to-peer support workers, pharmaceutical industry partnerships managers and others. This summary outlines key themes of participants’ views on the ODN model.