HEPATITIS C (No. 2)

That this House recognises that hepatitis C is the most prevalent blood-borne virus in the UK and can cause cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer and death; is alarmed that Public Health England estimates there to be some 250,000 hepatitis C positive people in the UK, although most cases remain undiagnosed; notes that the virus disproportionately affects marginalised groups, including intravenous drug users, prisoners and immigrant populations; further notes that only three per cent of those chronically infected receive potentially curative treatment each year; believes that hepatitis C can be effectively eliminated in England within a generation if simple actions are taken to ensure better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the virus; and calls on the Government to make the eradication of the virus a clear priority, with co-ordinated urgent action to reverse the rising death toll from hepatitis C.