The companies have partnered for a second time to support sector-wide efforts to eliminate hepatitis C virus in drug and alcohol services
Westminster Drug Project will resume its partnership with Gilead Sciences as part of an ongoing effort to eliminate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) from drug and alcohol services.
WDP initially received a Gilead grant in December 2019 to help increase its HCV testing and treatment uptake, enhance its data recording and to apply the ‘Capital Card’ to its HCV pathway. The addition of the Capital Card meant service users could earn points by engaging in HCV testing and treatment appointments and spend their points on positive activities and products in their local community.
Alongside the NHS and Gilead jointly-delivered training to WDP teams, these interventions delivered a 114% increase in blood borne virus testing uptake in WDP’s adult community services between September and December 2020, compared to the same four-month period the previous year, despite lockdown and other COVID-19-related protections.
Yasmin Batliwala, chair of WDP, reflected: “We are extremely pleased to be continuing our partnership with Gilead Sciences on this important work. WDP is committed to eliminate hepatitis C in its drug and alcohol services by 2023 and although this is an ambitious target, we are confident that we have the right partners and people in place to help make this a reality.”
William McCully, director, Patient Access to Care at Gilead Sciences, explained: “We are delighted to partner with WDP to deliver on the ambition to eliminate HCV in drug treatment services in England by the end of 2023 and look forward to supporting WDP’s Hep C Coordinator, the wider WDP team and the NHS to drive testing, diagnosis and linkage to care.”
Mark Gillyon-Powell, head of programme for HCV Elimination at NHS England, added: “NHS England’s Hepatitis C Virus Elimination Programme is working towards a shared goal of eliminating hepatitis C as a major public health issue in England ahead of the World Health Organization goal of 2030. We welcome this collaboration between two of our partners and recognise the important role it will play in driving forward hepatitis C elimination.”
Meanwhile, WDP has recruited a dedicated Hepatitis C coordinator to help its services achieve this ambitious target by 2023.
WDP has over 2,500 service users in treatment across the Barts, South Thames, West London and Cheshire and Merseyside Operational Delivery Networks. The coordinator will be liaising with these teams to better understand specific local needs as part of initial project planning and also to ensure ongoing high-quality partnership work.
In addition, WDP’s hepatitis C coordinator will also be working in partnership with the Hepatitis C Trust and other organisations to continually improve take-up of testing and HCV treatment.
