Between January and March 2021, a total of 3,849 laboratory reports of hepatitis C were reported to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) (previously PHE).

There was a 68% decrease in the number of reports compared to the first quarter of 2021 (n=2,288). This increase is due to the addition of previously missing backdated confirmed hepatitis C laboratory reports originating from either the private laboratory Abbott (formerly known as Alere), or a laboratory from the North West region.   

Since 2017, one laboratory in the North West of England has undertaken hepatitis C dried blood spot testing alongside hepatitis C routine laboratory testing. This single laboratory has taken on testing for a large part of the country. However, some samples where geographical information is lacking, may have been incorrectly assigned to this specific laboratory rather than the laboratory from which the sample originated.

Age and sex were well reported (99% complete). Where sex was known, males accounted for 67% of reports (2,559 out of 3,809), which is consistent with previous quarters and years.

Adults aged 35 to 54 years accounted for 60% of the total number of hepatitis C reports.

Table 1. Laboratory reports of hepatitis C in England and Wales, January to March 2022

	Age group	Male	Female	Unknown	Total
1 to 4 years	3	2	0	5
5 to 9 years	1	1	0	2
10 to 14 years	3	0	0	3
15 to 24 years	48	25	6	79
25 to 34 years	340	166	33	539
35 to 44 years	771	356	53	1,180
45 to 54 years	799	251	64	1,114
55 to 64 years	441	189	16	646
≥65 years	153	88	0	241
Unknown	14	4	22	40
Total	2,573	1,082	194	3,849

Notes: Individuals aged under 1 year are excluded, since positive tests in this age group may reflect the presence of passively-acquired maternal antibody rather than true infection. Laboratory reports are not reliable for differentiating acute and chronic hepatitis C infections. Laboratory reports include individuals with a positive test for hepatitis C antibody, antigen and/or detection of hepatitis C RNA. A small proportion of these specimens are diagnosed following dried blood spot (DBS) testing, however not all DBS testing is reported by laboratories.

In Table 2, laboratory reports are presented broken down by Operational Delivery Network (ODN). ODNs were launched in July 2013 following the publication of the NHS England strategy to sustain and develop clinical networks.

ODNs are the networks through which hepatitis C treatment is being delivered across England. Between January and March 2021, 3,021 out of 3,849 individuals in England had been allocated to an ODN.

Table 2. Laboratory reports of hepatitis C by Operational Delivery Network, January to March 2022

Primary ODN	Total
Barts	105
Birmingham	265
Bristol and Severn	107
Cheshire and Merseyside	231
Eastern Hepatitis Network	223
Greater Manchester and Eastern Cheshire	258
Humberside and North Yorkshire	59
Kent Network via Kings	35
Lancashire and South Cumbria	47
Leicester	111
North Central London	118
North East and Cumbria	240
Nottingham	103
South Thames Hepatitis Network	165
South West Peninsula	48
South Yorkshire	128
Surrey Hepatitis Services	86
Sussex Hepatology Network	220
Thames Valley Hep C ODN	19
Wessex Hep C ODN	83
West London	128
West Yorkshire	88

ODNs are based on NHS England Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) geographic boundaries. NHS England allocates a primary or lead ODN for CCGs which may cross more than one ODN.

Reference

1. UKHSA. ‘Hepatitis C (England and Wales): 2021’,