NHS Tayside’s £2.7m to fight Hepatitis C

[Guest guest]

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2008/11/20/story12271912t0.shtm

20 November 2008

NHS Tayside’s £2.7m to fight Hepatitis C

NHS Tayside will spend £2.7 million over the next three years tracking down and

treating people with Hepatitis C (writes Marjory Inglis, medical reporter).

Most will be drug addicts who contracted the potentially serious blood-borne

infection through sharing contaminated needles.

Without screening many would be unaware they have the virus until they develop

chronic liver disease or cancer. The majority of people infected with the virus

have no symptoms and do not know they are infected.

Health bosses, meeting in Dundee today, heard there are an estimated 3000 people

in Tayside with the condition, but not diagnosed. At the moment an average of 44

people a year are treated, but NHS Tayside plans to step up activity in treating

the disease and preventing spread of infection.

Ann sen, NHS Tayside’s commissioner for sexual health and blood-borne virus,

told members of the health authority’s strategic policy and resources committee,

that long-term consequences of Hep C are significant.

“The overwhelming majority of people go on to develop chronic liver disease,”

said Mrs sen. “The Hepatitis C virus is responsible for between a half and

three quarters of all liver cancer cases.”

The commissioner said the ish Government is investing £43 million over

three years to tackle Hep C.

NHS Tayside has been allocated£2.7 million and Mrs sen outlined plans to

spend the cash on increased screening for the virus and treating more people

with the infection.

While not all people with the virus are injecting drug users or have been so in

the past, that is where the most significant problem lies. Up to half of

injecting and former drug users have the infection, falling to less than 0.4% of

the general population.

Mrs sen said treatment will be offered in both the specialist Hep C and drug

treatment services. She explained that the drug treatment service offered the

best opportunity to “engage” the most-at-risk group — those using drugs —

because they are already in contact.

Treatment would be provided by existing staff in the drug treatment service with

an additional two nurses. Staff in the treatment service would receive

additional training to allow them to carry out a testing programme to identify

people with the virus.

Part of the cash will be used to provide injecting equipment and further develop

Tyside’s needle exchange service, which seeks to reduce harm by ensuring drug

addicts have ready access to clean needles and safe disposal of used needles.

[Guest guest]

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2008/11/20/story12271912t0.shtm

20 November 2008

NHS Tayside’s £2.7m to fight Hepatitis C

NHS Tayside will spend £2.7 million over the next three years tracking down and

treating people with Hepatitis C (writes Marjory Inglis, medical reporter).

Most will be drug addicts who contracted the potentially serious blood-borne

infection through sharing contaminated needles.

Without screening many would be unaware they have the virus until they develop

chronic liver disease or cancer. The majority of people infected with the virus

have no symptoms and do not know they are infected.

Health bosses, meeting in Dundee today, heard there are an estimated 3000 people

in Tayside with the condition, but not diagnosed. At the moment an average of 44

people a year are treated, but NHS Tayside plans to step up activity in treating

the disease and preventing spread of infection.

Ann sen, NHS Tayside’s commissioner for sexual health and blood-borne virus,

told members of the health authority’s strategic policy and resources committee,

that long-term consequences of Hep C are significant.

“The overwhelming majority of people go on to develop chronic liver disease,”

said Mrs sen. “The Hepatitis C virus is responsible for between a half and

three quarters of all liver cancer cases.”

The commissioner said the ish Government is investing £43 million over

three years to tackle Hep C.

NHS Tayside has been allocated£2.7 million and Mrs sen outlined plans to

spend the cash on increased screening for the virus and treating more people

with the infection.

While not all people with the virus are injecting drug users or have been so in

the past, that is where the most significant problem lies. Up to half of

injecting and former drug users have the infection, falling to less than 0.4% of

the general population.

Mrs sen said treatment will be offered in both the specialist Hep C and drug

treatment services. She explained that the drug treatment service offered the

best opportunity to “engage” the most-at-risk group — those using drugs —

because they are already in contact.

Treatment would be provided by existing staff in the drug treatment service with

an additional two nurses. Staff in the treatment service would receive

additional training to allow them to carry out a testing programme to identify

people with the virus.

Part of the cash will be used to provide injecting equipment and further develop

Tyside’s needle exchange service, which seeks to reduce harm by ensuring drug

addicts have ready access to clean needles and safe disposal of used needles.