PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(11 December 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve earlier diagnosis of hepatitis B (a) nationally and (b) within Devon Integrated Care System.

Asked by:
Rebecca Smith (Conservative)

Hepatitis B is usually asymptomatic in the early years, and therefore, many people remain unaware of their infection. The UK Health Security Agency estimates that 268,767 people were living with chronic hepatitis B in England in 2022, 38.1% of whom we estimate are diagnosed. As a result, raising both professional and public awareness remains critical to reducing the undiagnosed burden of hepatitis B.

In April 2022, the NHS England introduced the bloodborne virus opt out testing in emergency departments programme, which was implemented across 34 sites. In its first 24 months 1,185,678 hepatitis B tests had been conducted in the programme, which has led to 1,957 new diagnoses of hepatitis B. Following the success of this programme, it is now being expanded to a further 47 sites nationwide. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bloodborne-viruses-opt-out-testing-in-emergency-departments/emergency-department-bloodborne-virus-opt-out-testing-12-month-interim-report-2023

In addition, the list of sites and go live dates is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bloodborne-viruses-opt-out-testing-in-emergency-departments/appendix-for-emergency-department-bloodborne-virus-opt-out-testing-12-month-interim-report-2023

The United Kingdom has continued to see the success of well-established antenatal screening. Antenatal screening coverage has remained high at 99.8%, which ensures pregnant women living with hepatitis B are diagnosed and interventions are implemented, to prevent transmission of hepatitis B to their children.

As set out in the published Hepatitis B in England 2024 report, effective interventions have also been developed to raise awareness of hepatitis B among healthcare professionals and communities at risk of acquiring viral hepatitis, support primary care in identifying and managing cases, and offer testing and immunisations to close contacts. These interventions need to be more widely implemented to continue to improve diagnosis and access to care. The Hepatitis B in England 2024 report is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-b-in-england/hepatitis-b-in-england-2024#raising-awareness-supporting-the-diagnosis-of-people-living-with-undiagnosed-hepatitisand-reducing-barriers-to-treatment

Answered by:
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1 January 1970