On 13 August 2020, teams from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Trust (CHT), Change Grow Live (CGL) Huddersfield and The Hepatitis C Trust (Hep C Trust) held a Hepatitis C (HCV) testing event near to Clare House, a hostel for the homeless in Huddersfield, using CGL’s outreach mobile clinic van.
The aim was to identify and test those who were not currently linked to the local Drug and Alcohol service in the Huddersfield area run by CGL.
On the day 25 people were seen:
19 of the 25 were tested for HCV antibodies by the Hepatitis C Peer support team with only 1 of the 19 tested positive for HCV antibodies
5 of the 25 were already known to the LTHT & CHT nurses and were HCV antibody positive
1 DBST test was take by the LTHT Nurse
In total there were 6 patients who were HCV antibody positive
Of the 6 patients who were HCV antibody positive
1 tested positive for the HCV antibody on the day (PCR negative end of June 2020 while in HMP. Referred to CGL team, PCR not repeated at this event, as the patient declined the test)
2 were known to the CHT team having recently completed HCV treatment. 3 month post treatment taken.
3 had received treatment and achieved an SVR but admitted to recent risk exposure behaviour. Repeat HCV-PCR-RNA results are pending
5 were tested for HCV-PCR-RNA, results are pending
Other Activities
Linda Deacon and Anna Fill from CGL:
Completed 7 Public Health England Annual anonymous HIV/Hepatitis National survey questionnaires for drug injectors (past or current) and
Completed 3 dry blood spot tests
The CGL team also took the opportunity to review the patient who was antibody positive following the antibody testing by the Hep C Trust Peers.
The initiative was supported by The Hep C Trust whose Peers provided vouchers to those tested on the day, by CGL staff providing vouchers following completion of the questionnaire. Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Charity also provided a care package for all those seen.
The photo shows the staff outside the mobile clinic. Social distancing was observed and PPE used.
The team from Left to right: Simon Taylor: Peer Educator – Hep C Trust, Anna Fill: CGL Huddersfield, Catherine Wigglesworth: CNS – LTHT,Linda Deacon: Lead Nurse – CGL Huddersfield, John Fox: West Yorkshire Peer Lead – Hep C Trust, Sue Goldthorpe: CNS – CHT.
