Making Hep C History in Portsmouth
World Hepatitis Day provides an opportunity to celebrate a significant milestone for Portsmouth. Through the dedication of partner organisations, frontline teams and people with lived experience, the city has achieved hepatitis C micro-elimination within its adult drug and alcohol treatment service.
This achievement is about much more than statistics. It reflects months of partnership working to reach people who may have experienced homelessness, trauma, poor health or barriers to accessing healthcare. By offering testing in trusted settings and supporting people quickly into treatment, partners have helped improve health outcomes while reducing inequalities.
Although this milestone is worth celebrating, the work continues. Sustaining micro-elimination means continuing to offer testing, maintaining awareness and ensuring everyone who could benefit from treatment has the opportunity to receive it. Together, we are committed to keeping Hep C history in Portsmouth.
About the partnership
The Portsmouth Hepatitis C Micro-elimination Programme has been delivered through partnership working between:
- Inclusion (part of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust)
- The Society of St James
- Hep C U Later, an initiative of the NHS Addictions Provider Alliance
- The Hepatitis C Trust
- Portsmouth City Council
- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
- NHS England
Key facts
- Partnership established: July 2025
- Hepatitis C micro-elimination achieved: 16 July 2026
- More than 650 hepatitis C tests completed.
- Around 25 people diagnosed with active hepatitis C.
- All but three commenced treatment.
- The programme focused on increasing access to testing and treatment for people accessing Portsmouth’s adult drug and alcohol treatment service.
About hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that affects the liver. Many people experience no symptoms until the disease has progressed, but it can now usually be cured with a short course of antiviral medication if diagnosed early.
About hepatitis C micro-elimination
Micro-elimination is the achievement of eliminating hepatitis C within a defined population or service through systematic testing, rapid access to treatment and ongoing follow-up. It contributes to England’s wider ambition to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat. Further information here: What does hepatitis C micro-elimination in drug services mean? – HEP C U Later