Theme: Models of Care Year: 2022
Background:
The service covers 1042 clients over 3 sites across West Kent. BBV testing is done via a nurse-led
model, with historic challenges seen within the identification/testing pathway. Staff had been
reluctant to support and engage, as BBVs were not seen as part of their offering in supporting their
clients.
Description of model of care/intervention:
A change of the whole team model of care, focused on driving staff engagement with supporting
BBV testing, and de-medicalising the pathway so the whole team felt comfortable to be involved.
After an initial care coordinator pathway workshop, a 6 week BBV educational model was delivered
utilising the virtual ECHO system, with support from Kings College Hospital, to all staff, with a focus
on upskilling team members to identify, test and refer clients at risk of BBVs. Over a 2 year period,
the service has implemented specific interventions, including pop-up testing clinics, postal testing,
specific care worker caseload testing support and incentivised programs. A designated treatment
nurse was assigned to West Kent to ensure all identified HCV positive clients were treated and
followed up.
Effectiveness:
Using the 2019 NHSE micro-elimination guidelines, West Kent CGL are the first multi-site, >1000
client service to achieve micro-elimination in England with 100% of all current/historic injecting
clients offered a test, 90% of these clients tested in the past 12 months and 98% of positive HCV
cases treated.
Conclusion and next steps:
By empowering all care coordinators to take ownership of offering and testing their caseloads for
BBVs through virtual education, motivational focused interventions and developing a competitive
nature across the three sites, it has been possible for the first large, multi-site service to achieve
micro-elimination in England, and most significantly, achieving this during the Covid pandemic.
Disclosure of Interest Statement:
N/a