Hepatitis C (hep C) is one of the most common blood borne viruses in the country.
In order to eliminate it as a major health concern by 2025, NHS England set a series of specific targets, called micro-elimination, to tackle the virus and ensure that people are being diagnosed and getting the treatment they need quickly and easily.
As of August 2024, Change Grow Live, a drug and alcohol service commissioned by Warwickshire County Council (WCC), has micro-eliminated hep C in Leamington Spa, with Stratford-upon-Avon next on the list to achieve the status.
In order to accomplish the micro-elimination targets in Leamington Spa, Change Grow Live ran a clinic every other month offering residents accessing the service a test for hep C. They also visited pharmacies to conduct testing and utilised pharmacy data to better reach individuals who may be more at risk of having the virus.
The Leamington Spa clinic achieved micro-elimination of hep C by reaching the following targets:
- 100% of people using the service have been offered a hepatitis C test
- 90% of these people have then been tested (in Leamington Spa, 99.28% of people with a history of injecting have now been tested)
- 75% of people who were diagnosed with hep C have started treatment (in Leamington Spa, 96.43% of people with hep C have successfully started treatment)
Cllr Margaret Bell, portfolio holder for Social Care & Health said:
“This is an incredible achievement for Change Grow Live and they have made a huge difference to the lives of residents in Leamington Spa by significantly increasing the number of people being treated for hep C.
“We want people to feel supported to lead safe, healthy and independent lives. Services like Change Grow Live believe in people, they take the time to understand what you’re going through, they don’t judge, and they help you to take the first steps to making positive changes in your life.
“If you think you might have hep C, get tested so you can get treated as soon as possible.”
Chris Saunders Locality Manager at Change Grow Live added:
“This is an amazing achievement and something we’ve been striving for. We have worked really hard to ensure that everyone coming through the service in Leamington is offered a test and given treatment if required.
“It’s been amazing to see people attend for treatment and see the positive impact it has had on them and their families.
“Colleagues have worked tirelessly to get to this point, so I would like to thank them for their perseverance and dedication to make a difference to people’s lives.”
Hep C is a virus that can infect the liver. If left untreated, it can sometimes cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage to the liver over many years. Most people with hep C can be cured with few or no side effects through taking a course of anti-viral tablets.
You can become infected with hep C if you come into contact with the blood of an infected person. Some ways the infection can spread include injecting recreational drugs using unsterilised needles, sharing razors or toothbrushes, from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby or through unprotected sex – although this is very rare. Most infections of hep C happen in people who inject drugs or have injected them in the past. Therefore, if you have ever injected recreational drugs, it’s important to get tested.
Hep C often does not have any noticeable symptoms until the liver has been significantly damaged. This means many people have the infection without realising it. Symptoms can include feeling tired all the time, stomach ache, feeling and being sick, loss of appetite and flu-like symptoms.
The only way to know for certain if these symptoms are caused by hep C is to get tested. You can order free at-home tests online, you prick your finger to get some blood and then send the blood to get tested. Alternatively, if you are worried you might have hep C from injecting drugs, you can visit one of the Change Grow Live hubs in Leamington Spa, Rugby or Nuneaton.
Change Grow Live is a nationwide charity that helps tens of thousands of people every day. WCC has commissioned the organisation since 2018 to provide drug and alcohol support services to residents across Warwickshire. They offer a full range of treatments and interventions, including the continuation of rigorous hep C testing, designed to support people to take control of their recovery journey and achieve their recovery goals.
For more information about drug and alcohol services in Warwickshire and to get support, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/alcohol.
For more information about hep C, and to order an at home test, visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-c.