Infected Blood Inquiry – Hepatitis C Testing

Although it is likely that the majority of people directly affected by infected blood have now been identified and started appropriate treatment, there may be people who have not yet been identified, particularly where they are living with asymptomatic Hepatitis C. People who had blood transfusions might not have considered these risks before or sought testing.

The Inquiry report recommends that people who received blood transfusions up until 1996 should be offered a blood test for Hepatitis C if they have not been tested before. If you fall into this category, you can use an online service for at-home Hepatitis C self-testing kits, which are available via hepctest.nhs.uk for anyone over the age of 18 and living in England. Any positive results from at-home testing are dealt with by local Operational Delivery Networks and passed to specialist hepatology teams, who arrange to contact the patient, notify them of their results and manage their care and treatment.