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<p>Public Health England (PHE), NHS England and the National Offender Manager Service
(NOMS) have worked together to improve the diagnosis of blood-borne viruses (BBVs)
(including Hepatitis C) among people in prison and to provide access to treatment
and care for those infected through collaborative implementation of the BBV opt-out
testing programme, published in the National Partnership Agreement in 2015. A copy
of the Agreement is attached.</p><p>PHE has published detailed expert advice to commissioners
and prison healthcare services on all aspects of implementation of BBV opt-out testing,
including testing and treatment algorithms. Further, PHE has supported dissemination
of guidance through a programme of training and engagement events in partnership with
the voluntary sector. PHE has co-developed with NHS England and NOMS a set of performance
metrics called the Health & Justice Indicators of Performance (HJIPs) to provide
data on the number of people tested, the number requiring treatment and those referred
for treatment which supports commissioners in performance management of prison healthcare
services.</p>
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