§ Mrs. Helen ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what his latest estimate is of the incidence of hepatitis C among the prison population; [129137]
(2) what his latest estimate is of the proportion of prisoners with chronic hepatitis C who are receiving treatment in accordance with National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines; [129138]
(3) what his latest estimate is of the incidence of hepatitis C among prisoners (a) on reception and (b) on discharge; [129139]
(4) what steps he has taken to estimate the incidence of hepatitis C amongst the prison population. [129140]
§ Dr. LadymanPrisoners are not routinely screened for hepatitis C. Individual prisoners often ask to be tested for evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection and this is done, after pre-test counselling. The Public Health Laboratory Service undertook an unlinked, anonymised survey of the prevalence of blood borne viruses among prisoners in England in 1997–98. This indicated that 9 per cent. of adult men, 11 per cent. of all women and 0.6 per cent. of young men had evidence of previous exposure to hepatitis C. No research has been undertaken on the prevalence of hepatitis C on reception and discharge.
Prisoners newly diagnosed with hepatitis C are referred to national health service specialists for further assessment and treatment, as clinically appropriate. People received into prison with hepatitis C will have any treatment begun in the community continued while they remain in prison. Information about the number of prisoners receiving treatment for hepatitis C and what form that treatment takes is not collated centrally.