The Hepatology service at St Mary’s Hospital is transforming the quality of life for people diagnosed with hepatitis C. With advances in medication and new technology now being used on the Island, patients diagnosed with the virus are able to be treated and monitored much more effectively.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood borne virus which causes inflammation (swelling) and scaring in the liver. Most people with hepatitis have no symptoms for years and many don’t know they have it at all, but it can cause serious liver disease if left untreated.
Over the past year many patients have been referred to St Mary’s Hospital, either by their GP, the hospital or by a community Pharmacist following a positive test for hepatitis. The team now have around 90 patients known to be HCV positive – this is as a result of a local research project which has been underway on the Island for the past 2 years to identify people living with HCV and completely unaware.
The research, led by Dr Ryan Buchanan, Hepatology Research Fellow at St Mary’s Hospital, has been a real success story. At one time it was thought there were at least 200 people on the Island with undiagnosed hepatitis C. However, working with community pharmacies and other health services to improve access to testing has led to not only an increase in the number of people being tested but those patients who test positive being referred direct to the Hepatology Service at St Mary’s without the need to travel across the water to Southampton and onto a treatment pathway with 90% of patients being completely cured from the disease.
Speaking about the ongoing success of the research project, Dr Buchanan, said:
“Working with community pharmacies and other health services to make hepatitis testing much more accessible to people who do not traditionally engage with health services has undoubtedly been the key to unlocking the door to getting people diagnosed and treated. But our work doesn’t stop here, we are now looking at how people are socially connected, for example friends of a friend who may have been exposed to hepatitis, in order to reach the people who are not getting the much needed treatment that could save their lives.”
Although there is a waiting list for treatment, getting HCV diagnosed is the first important step. HCV is not the only cause of liver damage, the service treat patients with alcoholic and fatty liver disease too. These conditions are very common and currently outnumber those with hepatitis. The Hepatology team were recently at the IW Bestival speaking to young people about the risks of alcohol and the damage prolonged and high volumes of alcohol intake can do to your liver.
Dr Leonie Grellier, Consultant Gastroenterologist at St Mary’s Hospital, said:
“If caught early enough we are able to treat HCV much more effectively and patients stand an excellent chance of clearing the virus and making a full recovery. Previously, the drugs were much less effective and the side effects were particularly unpleasant but that is no longer the case. We now have a Fibroscanner on the Island which is of huge benefit to patients as they no longer need to travel off Island for assessment of their liver disease. We are able to monitor our patients here and give the treatment and care they need locally which is what people want.”
HCV is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact. Some ways the infection can be spread include:
- sharing unsterilised needles – particularly needles used to inject recreational drugs
- sharing razors or toothbrushes
- from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby
- through unprotected sex – although this is very rare
Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to hepatitis C at some point can go along to their local pharmacy for a blood spot test. Testing is quick and easy and involves a simple finger-prick test. The results are available within 2 weeks.
