Conquering HCV via micro-elimination
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Transforming Pathways for Testing and Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus in Prisons
IRAS ID
274201
Contact name
Brian Thomson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of liver disease. In the UK, HCV is spread when people share the equipment needed to inject illegal drugs. As this is illegal activity, many people who go to prison will have been at risk of catching HCV. Treatments are available for HCV which cure over 95% of people and prevent the liver disease occurring. Public Health England have set a target for prisons to test 75% of people admitted to each establishment but in the Midlands region the average numbers tested in April to June 2019 was 49%. This research seeks to identify the systematic facilitators to the sustainability of increased testing rates for HCV using implementation science. The study will focus on three male remand prisons (Lincoln, Leicester and Nottingham) because their high turnover of men can mean that it is more difficult for prison nurses to test large numbers within their existing processes of care. There are five elements to this research; (1)Review of national HCV testing data from all remand prisons in England. (2)Structured questionnaire with senior healthcare staff at each of the three prisons to understand the prison culture and context and to identify where barriers and facilitators may lay. (3) Map prisoners current process of HCV care in the three prisons (4) Identify interventions that can be implemented to support an increase in HCV testing and subsequent linkage to rapid treatment when a positive diagnosis is made via a survey. (5) To ask prisoners in the three prisons who are not tested the reasons why this did not occur.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/EM/0057
Date of REC Opinion
2 Mar 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion