Latest News, reports & updates
London comes together to treat hepatitis C during lockdown
December 17, 2020
Today the London Joint Working Group on Substance Use and Hepatitis C (LJWG) launched a report, supported by the Mayor of London, to spotlight the partnership that came together to offer hepatitis C testing and treatment interventions for the homeless population in London during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hepatitis C, a virus that attacks the liver,...
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New partnership to eliminate hepatitis C in London kicks off at City Hall
March 3, 2020
02.03.20: Today, charities, doctors, nurses, addictions specialists, peer support workers and public health leads from across London are coming together to kick off plans for a ‘Routemap to eliminating hepatitis C in London’. This will set the direction for London to become the first global city to eliminate hepatitis C, ahead of the World Health...
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New report builds on evidence for expanding hepatitis C testing, and offering hepatitis C treatment, in pharmacies
September 26, 2019
The report’s findings build on ‘phase 1’ of the pilot and follows NHS England’s announcement in July that they will invest £4 million over the next 2 years in rolling out hepatitis C testing in selected pharmacies across the country. Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus that affects the liver and is transmitted by...
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New report calls for organisations involved with hepatitis C testing, treatment and care to improve data sharing
August 27, 2019
The new report, ‘Joining the Dots: Linking pathways to hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment’, highlights that, with people being diagnosed with hepatitis C at various different locations such as at a drugs service, prison, GP practice, or outreach service, it is crucial these organisations have systems that can process and share patient information efficiently. Effective...
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£4 million pledged to testing for hepatitis C in community pharmacies
July 31, 2019
The announcement came this week with the publication of The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for 2019/20 to 2023/24 by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, NHS Improvement, and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. The Framework sets out that over 2019/20 and 2020/21, £2 million will be invested each year to support hepatitis...
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LJWG pilot celebrated as best practice by EMCDDA
July 31, 2019
The EMCDDA is an EU agency existing to provide the EU’s Member States with a factual overview of European drug problems and a solid evidence base to support the drugs debate. In advance of World Hepatitis Day, the organisation published ‘Hepatitis C: new models of care for drugs services’. This report aims to highlight the...
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World Hepatitis Day 2019
July 25, 2019
Mayor joins charities and doctors to spread the World Hepatitis Day ‘Get tested for hepatitis C’ message Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus, which primarily affects the liver. People can live with hepatitis C for decades without symptoms but untreated cases can cause fatal cirrhosis and liver cancer. Public Health England estimate there are 14,200...
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A call to action: Overcoming barriers to allow treatment in community pharmacies (July 2019)
July 25, 2019
Fully embracing the strategic priorities and ambitions to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2025, the London Joint Working Group have been exploring the options around the introduction of a community pharmacy hepatitis C treatment service. Despite full local system support for the initiative and examples of similar services being introduced successfully...
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Minister urged to let pharmacies dispense hepatitis C treatments
July 18, 2019
Following the success of the LJWG’s hepatitis C pharmacy testing pilot, the group has joined forces with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Liver Health to urge the government to allow pharmacies to dispense hepatitis C treatments. Chemist + Druggist magazine has reported on the issue, highlighting the LJWG pilot’s findings that 84% of people who...
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