Brighton’s main NHS hospital trust is stepping up the fight against hepatitis C by targeting cells – and the inmates in them.
Specialists from the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, screened hundreds of prisoners at Lewes prison for the infectious inflammation of the liver.
University Hospitals Sussex, which runs the Royal Sussex, said: “Specialist nurses at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust are helping eliminate hepatitis C as a major health threat by 2025 in support of a key NHS target.
“The haematology team’s latest project was a ‘high intensity test and treat’ event at Her Majesty’s Prison Lewes where nearly 96 per cent of residents were screened for the contagious disease in three days.
“Hepatitis C can spread through activities that expose people to an infected person’s blood, such as non-sterile tattooing, piercing or cutting rituals.
“Nine prisoners at HMP Lewes were found to be carrying the virus and all were started on treatment. Testing also showed that 36 prisoners had previously been infected with hepatitis C.
“The partnership project with the Hepatitis C Trust charity and Practice Plus Group has ensured testing of the Lewes prison population is 90 per cent above the average for prisons in the south east.”
Duncan Cresswell, clinical networks manager for UH Sussex, said: “This is a fantastic achievement by everyone involved and a testament to what can be achieved through collaborative working.
“The Hep C Trust and Practice Plus Group worked with prison guards to finger prick test residents and any antibody positive patients were screened for active infection (RNA) using a point-of-care testing machine.
“RNA positive patients were then seen by the UH Sussex hepatology nursing team and started on treatment within two days, linking with our specialised pharmacy teams.”
The NHS trust said: “UH Sussex has been delivering hepatology services at the prison since 2011 and the trust has established successful pathways with the prison healthcare teams to get residents on to treatment.”
Mr Cresswell said: “This has been the culmination of years of work developing relationships with the prison and helping to reduce healthcare inequalities for the residents.”
Zoe Yates, from the Hepatitis C Trust, said: “What a pleasure it was to be part of this testing event and to see how the can-do attitude among the services involved ensured we achieved the best outcomes for the residents of HMP Lewes.”
Practice Plus Group regional blood borne virus nurse manager Arran Ludlow-Rhodes said: “We are delighted with the outcome of the testing at HMP Lewes. I would like to personally thank all staff involved in making this event the success it was.”
Fantastic achievement by the team. Well done all.
Hepatitis is impacting patients using dialysis machines at the RSCH. Stressed & now dead-eyed doctors casually told me I need to be vaccinated against (I think Hep B) to be protected before I go back on dialysis. This City is a cesspit of drugs, alcaohol, sexually transmitted diseses that just overwhelm so many services now and spill consequences into even the use of dialysis chairs & machines.