Local MP Condemns Lack of Local Action on Hepatitis C

11.16.53am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 25th Feb 2008

Stockport Primary Care Trust is one of just 24 Trusts countrywide that failed to submit figures in a recent audit of Hepatitis C services in the UK.

Now Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell is challenging them to disclose figures on the number of local sufferers.

128 of the 152 Primary Care Trusts in England (83%) participated in the audit, which revealed that one in three was failing to meet the Government's own Action Plan to tackle the problem. Now Andrew Stunell is joining Gordon Roddick, husband of the late Dame Anita Roddick, who suffered from the disease, to call for a greater commitment to fighting Hepatitis C.

"We don't know if Stockport PCT is one of the successes or one of the failures because they kept stumm when asked. That needs to change"

Hepatitis C is often known as the 'silent killer' as many people remain undiagnosed and without symptoms for years. Out of as many as 500,000 people with Hepatitis C in England, only 63,000 have been diagnosed. The report, drawn up by an all party group of MPs, shows that PCTs need to go further to diagnose and treat people with Hepatitis C in order to save lives.

"Hepatitis C is a deadly disease that is affecting many thousands of people. Only one in eight sufferers has been diagnosed, and we rely on our PCTs to diagnose these people and provide the necessary resources for care. We need to hear from Stockport PCT that it takes this issue seriously and is ready to lead the fight against a silent killer".

ENDS

Note to editors:

The Body Shop founder and green campaigner Dame Anita Roddick chose February 14th 2007 to tell the world that she had hepatitis C. She became infected through a blood transfusion in 1971 when giving birth to her youngest daughter. She died in September 2007, aged 64.

A photo of Dame Anita Roddick is available - please contact jane.allen@hepctrust.org.uk

PCTs scored between 0/10 to 10/10 in the Audit. The full All-Party Parliamentary Hepatology Group audit report, including regional comparisons, is available from The Hepatitis C Trust website: www.hepctrust.org.uk

About hepatitis C:

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that principally affects the liver.

Liver damage occurs slowly over 20-30 years and can lead to liver scarring (fibrosis), cirrhosis and ultimately to liver cancer or liver failure and death.

It can be symptom-less which has led hepatitis C to be termed 'The Silent Epidemic'.

There are estimated to be between 231,000 (HPA) to 466,000 (University of Southampton research) infected with hepatitis C in England.

As a relatively newly identified disease (1989), there are still many aspects of it that are little or poorly understood.

Hepatitis C is already a major cause of liver transplant in the UK.

Yearly deaths from hepatitis C have trebled in the last 10 years

There is no vaccine but treatment is available which can cure the disease in around half of patients

More details about hepatitis C can be found at www.hepctrust.org.uk

The Hepatitis C Trust's helpline: 0845 223 4424