Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) testing, and (2) treatment, for hepatitis C continues in prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We recognise that the need to focus on COVID-19 response across prison establishments has had an adverse impact on the number of people in prisons tested and able to access treatment for hepatitis C.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently working proactively with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service partners and other key stakeholders on a programme of restoration and recovery of key services. As Blood Borne Virus testing forms part of the Public Health Section 7a agreement with Public Health England, this work is being prioritised.

It is anticipated a full resumption of the hepatitis C elimination programme will take place from October 2020.