HMP Hollesley Bay has become one of the first prisons in England to have eliminated Hepatitis C from its population.
The prison has been undertaking targeted testing with the Hepatitis C Trust and Gilead Sciences, Practice Plus Group’s clinical team.
Of the 402 men in the prison, over 95% of the men have been tested in the last year, meeting the target set by the partnership, who devised the programme to eliminate hepatitis C (HCV) by 2025 in all 47 prisons currently served by Practice Plus Group medical teams.
Regional blood-borne delivery nurse manager for the East of England, Julie Henderson said: “This was an exceptional achievement and one that will be recognised by NHSE granting micro-elimination status to the prison.
“The prison director, prison officers and medical staff, together with the health champions and the Hepatitis C Trust peer volunteers, did an incredible job of explaining the benefits of taking part and the dangers of leaving the condition untreated, which can include irreversible liver damage.”
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