NHS 'Morally Wrong' Over Cure For Hepatitis C

NHS England has been branded "morally wrong" by a sexual health charity for not curing hepatitis C patients with an expensive new drug, until their illness has reached a chronic stage.

The Terrence Higgins Trust says new treatments that can cure the disease within 12 weeks are only being prescribed to patients who have developed liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Dr Shaun Griffin from the charity told Sky News: "It's about £50,000 for a course of treatment – but the cost shouldn't come into it because it's a cure.

"We think it's morally wrong that people have to wait until the end-stage of their disease, getting more and more sick until this treatment becomes available."

Hospital admissions from hepatitis C-related liver disease and liver cancer have nearly tripled in the UK over the last decade, while deaths have more than doubled.

Figures published by Public Health England to coincide with World Hepatitis Day show deaths from hepatitis C rose from 190 in 2004 to 424 in 2013.

The virus is transmitted from person to person via infected blood – and most people get it from sharing drug-injecting equipment such as needles, syringes, spoons, filters and swabs.

Symptoms can take years to emerge and often include, diarrhoea, nausea, fatigue, itchy skin and stomach pain.

Judith Stainforth, a 68-year-old from Worcester, thinks she contracted hepatitis C from surgery or dental work she underwent decades ago, before the virus was discovered.

She suffers from tiredness, depression and severe aches and pains, but the NHS won't give her new treatments like Sofosbuvir or Harvoni.

"It's too expensive to be given to me because, as yet, I haven't developed cirrhosis and I haven't developed liver cancer," she said.

"I understand the economics of it, but it is also very frustrating to know that there is something there which has a very good cure rate and I simply can't afford to buy it myself and the NHS have said no."

Ms Stainforth is considering going to India or Mexico - where the drugs are cheaper - and paying for them herself.

In a statement, NHS England said: "NHS England fully supports expanded new treatment options for people with hepatitis C and we agree that it's important that decisions are made as quickly as possible.

"We've recently announced a significant investment to cure thousands more patients with cirrhosis caused by the virus and widening access to the new drugs further is subject to decisions to be made by NICE."

In the meantime, charities say it is vital more people get screened for hepatitis C to prevent further transmission.

The once promiscuous and reckless 90s pop duo Right Said Fred are backing the campaign , and have released a documentary about their lifestyle choices and the importance of getting tested.

The I'm Too Sexy singers have re-recorded the song to include the campaign name in the lyrics: “I’m not too sexy to get tested”.