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1124338

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Hepatitis
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support NHS England's plan to eliminate Hepatitis C in England by 2025, especially with regard to the prison service.
tabling member constituency	Worthing West
tabling member printed	Sir Peter Bottomley
uin	249814
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>We recognise the unique opportunity that custody offers to identify and encourage individuals with Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs) to engage in treatment. NHS England are responsible for commissioning and delivering health services in prisons and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) are responsible for enabling access to healthcare services for those in custody. We are fully supportive of the work being done by NHS England and Public Health England to meet the 2025 target for the elimination of Hepatitis C in England.</p><p> </p><p>An opt-out policy for BBV testing was introduced in 2013, under the previous National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England (NPA) between NHS England (NHSE), Public Health England (PHE) and HMPPS (then NOMS). Full implementation of the opt-out testing policy for BBVs in all adult prisons in England was achieved in March 2018. Since opt-out testing was introduced, the uptake of BBV testing in prisons has increased from a baseline of 4% to 29%. This figure is an aggregate for all prisons, with some far exceeding the average uptake. This shared commitment to tackling the spread of infectious diseases, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV, in prisons was reaffirmed in the new NPA between NHSE, PHE, HMPPS, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and MoJ, published in April 2018.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work with our health partners to identify points of attrition and barriers to testing uptake, as well as with organisations, such as the Hepatitis C Trust, to raise awareness among prison staff and prisoners about the importance of testing for BBV.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently reviewing the process by which defendants access essential medication whilst in the custody of the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services to ensure that it is fit for purpose and to consider further improvements. Additionally, current processes for Discharge Planning will be enhanced as a part of the Hepatitis C Pathways work being carried out by NHS England. This will ensure that individuals diagnosed with Hepatitis C who leave prison, transfer between prisons and attend court have their medication with them and have detailed instructions about accessing treatment specialists in the community. Treatment for Hepatitis C uses high value drugs, and ensuring that the full course follows the individual through the criminal justice system is a high priority for NHS England. Current processes will also be augmented by Hepatitis C Trust community peer workers engaging with people leaving prison, and through enhanced continuity of care arrangements under RECONNECT as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 249815 249816 question first answered 14/05/2019 15:39:22 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	117 label Biography information for Sir Peter Bottomley

1124339

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Viral Diseases
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to address the variation in (a) practice and (b) uptake of opt-out testing for blood borne viruses such as hepatitis C and HIV in prisons.
tabling member constituency	Worthing West
tabling member printed	Sir Peter Bottomley
uin	249815
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>We recognise the unique opportunity that custody offers to identify and encourage individuals with Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs) to engage in treatment. NHS England are responsible for commissioning and delivering health services in prisons and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) are responsible for enabling access to healthcare services for those in custody. We are fully supportive of the work being done by NHS England and Public Health England to meet the 2025 target for the elimination of Hepatitis C in England.</p><p> </p><p>An opt-out policy for BBV testing was introduced in 2013, under the previous National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England (NPA) between NHS England (NHSE), Public Health England (PHE) and HMPPS (then NOMS). Full implementation of the opt-out testing policy for BBVs in all adult prisons in England was achieved in March 2018. Since opt-out testing was introduced, the uptake of BBV testing in prisons has increased from a baseline of 4% to 29%. This figure is an aggregate for all prisons, with some far exceeding the average uptake. This shared commitment to tackling the spread of infectious diseases, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV, in prisons was reaffirmed in the new NPA between NHSE, PHE, HMPPS, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and MoJ, published in April 2018.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work with our health partners to identify points of attrition and barriers to testing uptake, as well as with organisations, such as the Hepatitis C Trust, to raise awareness among prison staff and prisoners about the importance of testing for BBV.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently reviewing the process by which defendants access essential medication whilst in the custody of the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services to ensure that it is fit for purpose and to consider further improvements. Additionally, current processes for Discharge Planning will be enhanced as a part of the Hepatitis C Pathways work being carried out by NHS England. This will ensure that individuals diagnosed with Hepatitis C who leave prison, transfer between prisons and attend court have their medication with them and have detailed instructions about accessing treatment specialists in the community. Treatment for Hepatitis C uses high value drugs, and ensuring that the full course follows the individual through the criminal justice system is a high priority for NHS England. Current processes will also be augmented by Hepatitis C Trust community peer workers engaging with people leaving prison, and through enhanced continuity of care arrangements under RECONNECT as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 249814 249816 question first answered 14/05/2019 15:39:22 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	117 label Biography information for Sir Peter Bottomley

1124340

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Hepatitis
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to improve continuity and cooperation between the courts, prisons and probation services to ensure that offenders have their hepatitis C medication with them when transferred between different settings.
tabling member constituency	Worthing West
tabling member printed	Sir Peter Bottomley
uin	249816
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>We recognise the unique opportunity that custody offers to identify and encourage individuals with Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs) to engage in treatment. NHS England are responsible for commissioning and delivering health services in prisons and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) are responsible for enabling access to healthcare services for those in custody. We are fully supportive of the work being done by NHS England and Public Health England to meet the 2025 target for the elimination of Hepatitis C in England.</p><p> </p><p>An opt-out policy for BBV testing was introduced in 2013, under the previous National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England (NPA) between NHS England (NHSE), Public Health England (PHE) and HMPPS (then NOMS). Full implementation of the opt-out testing policy for BBVs in all adult prisons in England was achieved in March 2018. Since opt-out testing was introduced, the uptake of BBV testing in prisons has increased from a baseline of 4% to 29%. This figure is an aggregate for all prisons, with some far exceeding the average uptake. This shared commitment to tackling the spread of infectious diseases, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV, in prisons was reaffirmed in the new NPA between NHSE, PHE, HMPPS, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and MoJ, published in April 2018.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work with our health partners to identify points of attrition and barriers to testing uptake, as well as with organisations, such as the Hepatitis C Trust, to raise awareness among prison staff and prisoners about the importance of testing for BBV.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently reviewing the process by which defendants access essential medication whilst in the custody of the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services to ensure that it is fit for purpose and to consider further improvements. Additionally, current processes for Discharge Planning will be enhanced as a part of the Hepatitis C Pathways work being carried out by NHS England. This will ensure that individuals diagnosed with Hepatitis C who leave prison, transfer between prisons and attend court have their medication with them and have detailed instructions about accessing treatment specialists in the community. Treatment for Hepatitis C uses high value drugs, and ensuring that the full course follows the individual through the criminal justice system is a high priority for NHS England. Current processes will also be augmented by Hepatitis C Trust community peer workers engaging with people leaving prison, and through enhanced continuity of care arrangements under RECONNECT as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 249814 249815 question first answered 14/05/2019 15:39:22 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	117 label Biography information for Sir Peter Bottomley

1124341

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Hepatitis: Primary Health Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve awareness of hepatitis C among primary care professionals.
tabling member constituency	Worthing West
tabling member printed	Sir Peter Bottomley
uin	249817
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>A variety of initiatives are underway in England to improve hepatitis C awareness and case finding, re-engagement and linkage to care, especially in drug services, primary care, prisons and accident and emergency centres. In addition, NHS England is funding access to new hepatitis C treatments in accordance with guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.</p><p> </p><p>Public Health England has developed and shared materials with a range of stakeholders, including the voluntary sector, to help raise awareness of hepatitis C infection and highlight the need for those at risk to seek testing and treatment. The resources and materials available comprise of posters, a quiz, social media videos and social banners in a variety of different languages; all of these resources are available online to download or order by healthcare professionals as well as the public themselves.</p> answering member constituency South Ribble answering member printed Seema Kennedy question first answered 13/05/2019 15:57:09 answering member 4455 label Biography information for Seema Kennedy
tabling member	117 label Biography information for Sir Peter Bottomley

1124342

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Blood: Viral Diseases
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of trialling opt-out testing for (a) hepatitis C, (b) HIV and (c) other blood-borne viruses in emergency care settings.
tabling member constituency	Worthing West
tabling member printed	Sir Peter Bottomley
uin	249818
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>NHS England specialised commissioning does not run a national programme of opt-out screening within emergency care settings. NHS England is aware of some hospital trusts that have implemented an opt-out screening protocol within emergency care settings, but this is not routine practice in all hospitals. Where opt-out is implemented there are posters on display advising patients, attending the emergency department, that they will be tested unless they tell their attending clinician that they want to opt-out and do not wish to be tested.</p><p>Opportunistic testing for blood-borne diseases may also occur in non-traditional healthcare settings frequently used by people who inject drugs (or used to), such as doctors’ surgeries, community pharmacies, prisons and sexual health centres.</p> answering member constituency South Ribble answering member printed Seema Kennedy question first answered 13/05/2019 15:48:07 answering member 4455 label Biography information for Seema Kennedy
tabling member	117 label Biography information for Sir Peter Bottomley

1124343

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Hepatitis: Disease Control
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of producing a hepatitis C elimination strategy to support the recently announced NHS England deal to help eliminate hepatitis C.
tabling member constituency	Worthing West
tabling member printed	Sir Peter Bottomley
uin	249819
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) target of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030 but there are no plans at this time to publish a strategy to eliminate hepatitis C. A variety of initiatives are underway in England to improve awareness and case finding, re-engagement and linkage to care, especially in drug services, primary care, prisons and accident and emergency centres. In addition, NHS England is funding access to new hepatitis C treatments in accordance with guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).</p><p>A summary of progress towards achieving the elimination goal was published in 2017 in Public Health England’s report, ‘Hepatitis C in the UK’ at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632465/HCV_in_the_uk_report_2017.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632465/HCV_in_the_uk_report_2017.pdf</a></p><p>This showed that the United Kingdom is on target to meet the WHO interim goal of reducing hepatitis C mortality by 10% by 2020. Better access to improved treatment has led to the first fall in deaths from severe hepatitis C related liver disease in a decade.</p> answering member constituency South Ribble answering member printed Seema Kennedy question first answered 13/05/2019 16:08:28 answering member 4455 label Biography information for Seema Kennedy
tabling member	117 label Biography information for Sir Peter Bottomley