Hepatitis C care 'fails patients'

The trust launched a campaign group on Monday

Up to 400,000 people in the UK are infected with hepatitis C, yet most sufferers are unhappy with the way the health service treats them.

The figures have been released as campaigners seek to raise awareness and improve management of the disease.

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that affects the liver. It can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Findings from two surveys suggest that while up to 400,000 people are infected in the UK, only 10% of health authorities and boards have developed measures to prevent and treat the disease.

Campaign launch

The British Liver Trust released the figures on Monday alongside the launch of a campaign group, C Change.

Patients said GPs' knowledge was poor

The trust funds research and offers support to patients diagnosed with hepatitis C.

It asked 637 patients for their opinions on the quality of the care they had received.

Forty per cent said they were given the diagnosis of hepatitis C in an uncaring and insensitive way and 90% said they were not given enough time to discuss the diagnosis.

Neither help nor counselling was offered to 75% of the patients surveyed, the findings show.

More than 65% said they thought their GPs lacked up to date knowledge of the disease.

'Cost issue'

The trust also questioned all 124 health authorities and boards in the UK - 89 replied.

Their response showed that while 20% had a published strategy for tackling the virus, just one in 10 had drawn up a comprehensive policy for hepatitis C prevention and treatment.

Less than seven per cent of the authorities thought the disease was a high health priority, but double that number thought it was a serious cost issue.

C Change is formed of liver doctors, nurses with a specialist interest in hepatitis C, patients and care workers involved in the treatment of the disease.

Chairman Christopher Buckler said: "The results of these two surveys were extremely disappointing although not unexpected.

"We know from direct contact with patients with hepatitis C that both primary and secondary health care is often failing to address the needs of patients."