Written answers

Thursday, 17 May 2018

Department of Health

Disease Management

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

172. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the steps he is taking to meet Ireland's pledge to eliminate hepatitis C as part of the World Health Organization programme; the progress that has been made to date; the reason a new national strategy has not been developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21788/18]

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

173. To ask the Minister for Health if funding can be made available as part of the hepatitis C elimination programme to allow for schemes to reach high-risk populations to be put on a secure financial footing beyond pilot studies to continue their work; his plans for a scoping exercise to ascertain the service needs within existing programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21789/18]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 173 together.

Ireland is committed to the WHO target of eliminating hepatitis C, including making it a rare disease by 2030.

In 2015, the National Hepatitis C Treatment Programme (NHCTP) was established as a multi-annual public health plan. It aims to provide treatment over the coming years, across a range of healthcare settings, to all persons living with hepatitis C in Ireland.

The Programme Advisory Group provides oversight, advice, assurances and strategic direction to the Programme. The group involves key stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the multi-annual public health plan for the treatment of hepatitis C in Ireland over the coming years. In order to achieve this, the Programme has been allocated funding of €30m each year since 2015.

The Programme is also supported by a Clinical Advisory Group (CAG), which provides oversight and direction for decisions on clinical prioritisation and selection of appropriate drug treatment regimens. The CAG includes healthcare professionals across a number of disciplines involved in the delivery of care to patients with hepatitis C.

The NHCTP has provided treatment to more than 2000 patients in the hospital setting since 2015. Access to treatment is currently open to all patients clinically prioritised, with no restrictions on availability. The programme aims to treat 1500-1800 patients in 2018.

In 2016, the NHCTP established a steering group which developed an integrated model of care for treatment across hospital and community services. In June 2017, for the initial phase of integrating hepatitis C treatment into community settings, the HSE began pilot treatment sites in 2 drug treatment centres in Dublin. These pilot sites support provision of treatment for patients who find it difficult to engage with the hospital based service.

The NHCTP is continuing to monitor and evaluate these pilot programmes, to assess the suitability, feasibility, and sustainability of providing hepatitis C treatment in these settings on a larger scale. It is understood that the HSE is developing plans for more sites in 2018, including prison and homeless services, in addition to developing existing shared care models currently being rolled out at St Vincent’s University Hospital.

The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre, in collaboration with the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee (NCEC) of the Department of Health, published national clinical guidelines for hepatitis C screening in July 2017.

The aim of the guidelines are to reduce the overall health and economic impact of hepatitis C infection and to contribute to the elimination of the virus as a public health concern in Ireland by 2030, by enhancing and further improving the screening of those at risk.

The HSE National Service Plan for 2018 is committed to the continued development of integrated care models for hepatitis C treatment, in community and acute settings, and to the national clinical guidelines on hepatitis C screening.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.