Finding the hidden thousands: how Surrey's outreach team is hunting down hepatitis C | News

An estimated 50 million people worldwide are living with hepatitis C and a large proportion of them don't know it, so Royal Surrey's outreach team goes looking for it in our communities. This World Hepatitis Day (28 July), meet Ross, one of the people doing the finding.

Hep C is a viral infection that causes the liver to swell - it can lead to serious liver damage and it can be life-threatening, but people usually don’t know they have it because symptoms are mild or don’t appear at all.

It spreads when blood from an infected person enters the body of someone who is not infected - and it only needs to be a microscopic amount. This can happen through procedures such as tattoos, some beauty or dental treatments where equipment has not been properly sterilised, or by sharing needles or other equipment used to take drugs. In some cases, a baby can also acquire hepatitis C from their mother during pregnancy or birth.

Ross works for both Royal Surrey and the Hepatitis C Trust to support their shared mission to eliminate hep C, and spends most of his working days on the road with his kit in a backpack. He’s often looking for people who don’t know they need to be found - and sometimes those who don’t want to be found by healthcare services. He said:

“People often have no symptoms, so getting out there and encouraging tests among those who meet the risk factors is what my job’s about. I could be in local town centre or car parks offering testing for anyone who thinks they could be at risk, whether it’s because they had a dodgy tattoo or because they’ve injected drugs at some point in their life.”

While hep C can affect anyone, because of its links with needle sharing, it does disproportionately affect people who are going through hard times and can be difficult to find, so Ross and the team seek people out where they already are, working in a variety of locations, looking for those affected.

He said: “Another day, I might be offering tests at a homeless shelter, or pacing the streets looking to follow up previous treatments.”

How the test works

The test is simple: a finger-prick blood sample is applied to a lateral flow device - similar to a Covid-19 or pregnancy test - giving a result in under two minutes. Once someone tests positive, the first step is a further test to check their genotype and make sure they get the right treatment. It’s then a course of daily tablets, lasting between eight and 12 weeks. Ross said:

“Treatment has come such a long way - 15 years ago it was a daily injection in the stomach, so a tablet is a much better option. And it saves lives.”

How to get tested

If you think you’re at risk, first visit the NHS website to check the risk factors. If you’re still concerned, order a free testing kit through the same site. It’s quick and easy - and it could save your life.