Theme: Models of Care Year: 2022
Background:
The overarching aim of the program is to utilise personal experience of treatment and present an
attractive and familiar environment so that clients feel that they want to ‘Follow’ our peers toward
hepatitis C treatment. Each patient is individual and we use our expertise to build tailor-made
support packages ranging from peer testing to one-to-one support and direct access into treatment
clinics.
Description of model of care/intervention:
In 2019 we adapted the model to work with people leaving prison or on short sentences, a through
the gate model. We identified that many people were being diagnosed in prison but leaving before
they accessed treatment or leaving half way through treatment in particular those serving short
sentences.
ODN/Prison nurses incorporated HCT’s Follow Me consent form into their own consent form which
is signed and agreed when a positive result is given to a prisoner. The nurse discusses the Hepatitis C
role of the Peer, the key to the success of this model is the link between community and prison peer.
Effectiveness:
Year to date we have received 438 referrals, this is a mixture from Male and Female prisons, the
majority of which come from reception prisons, the data range is varied with some prison referring
48 clients and others referring only 1. We have on average 25 prisons consistently using the follow
me process.
Conclusion and next steps:
In summary the clients get a full wrap around service with the follow me model, this as reduced the
risk of client disengagement, clients lost to follow up and a reduction in breaks in treatment in a
client leaves their medication in the prison.
To continue to role this out to prison in England and then take the model to Scotland, Wales and NI
Disclosure of Interest Statement:
The Hepatitis C Trust has received funding via the NHS England elimination agenda via Health in
Justice.