Jeff Smith joined an event in Parliament organised by The Hepatitis C Trust to hear more about what they are doing to support people affected by hepatitis C in Manchester Withington. The event took place for the Autumn 2023 European Testing Week (20^th-27^th November), where health services and organisations unite to promote awareness of the benefits of earlier hepatitis and HIV testing and to strengthen testing efforts.

The event brought cross-party politicians together with people working on the frontline of blood-borne virus (BBV) care – including The Hepatitis C Trust’s peer-to-peer support staff, NHS leaders, the HIV/AIDS charity Terrence Higgins Trust, the National AIDS Trust and the British Liver Trust – to promote the importance of routine testing.

The event highlighted the great progress we have seen due to NHS England’s hepatitis and HIV programmes and the importance of routine testing to meet NHS England’s goal to eliminate hepatitis C as a major public health concern by 2025 and end new HIV transmissions by 2030. This is why NHS England has rolled out a highly effective opt-out BBV testing scheme in Emergency Departments and has launched a service allowing people to order a simple home test kit for hepatitis C.

During the event, Jeff Smith took a finger-prick test delivered by a member of The Hepatitis C Trust’s clinically trained peer-to-peer support team, to learn more about the process and demonstrate the ease of testing

The Hepatitis C Trust is the UK’s dedicated national hepatitis C charity, supporting those at risk of or living with hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is spread by blood-to-blood contact and can lead to severe and even fatal damage to the liver. It primarily affects those from marginalised backgrounds, including people who inject drugs, homeless people, people in prison, and certain migrant communities. The virus was also transmitted to thousands of people through NHS medical procedures and blood products before the mid-1990s, which is currently being examined as part of the Infected Blood Inquiry ordered by the Government.

The virus is preventable, treatable and curable, with medications available on the NHS that can cure it within 12 weeks. However, a majority of the estimated 70,600 people in England still living with hepatitis C are undiagnosed.

Jeff Smith said: “I was pleased to join The Hepatitis C Trust, NHS England, the Terrence Higgins Trust, National AIDS Trust and the British Liver Trust to highlight European Testing Week and all the progress that has been made against blood-borne viruses.

“I am committed to ensuring that our NHS staff and their charity partners have the resources to see the elimination of hepatitis C through. This means getting everyone at risk tested and, if needs be, treated, through efforts such as the opt-out testing scheme we have seen in Emergency Departments.

“You can check whether you may have been exposed to infection risk factors at The Hepatitis C Trust’s website and you can order an easy and confidential home test kit direct from the NHS. You can also contact The Hepatitis C Trust’s helpline on 020 7089 6221 or at helpline@hepctrust.org.uk.”