This week, we were proud to welcome The Hepatitis C Trust to Wirral Ways for a special celebration of our achievement of Hep C micro elimination. We are the first large drug and alcohol service in the UK to reach this point and it marks a genuinely historic moment for our community.
Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus most commonly spread through the sharing of injecting equipment, which means people who inject drugs are particularly vulnerable. Drug and alcohol services hold a crucial role because they are often the first point of contact for people at highest risk. By embedding Hepatitis C care into everyday recovery work, services like Wirral Ways can stop transmission, reach underserved communities, and contribute directly to national and global goals to eliminate the virus.
Micro elimination is more than an award or a milestone. It means we have met strict national criteria that show Hepatitis C is no longer a public health threat within our service. This includes consistently offering testing to everyone who comes through our doors, providing rapid access to treatment, building strong clinical pathways, supporting people right through to cure, and preventing reinfection through harm reduction. In real terms, it means the people who rely on Wirral Ways now have a much safer future, with Hepatitis C no longer being something that silently harms lives.
This achievement has come at a perfect moment as it aligns with European Testing Week. This international campaign encourages increased testing for Hepatitis C, HIV, and other blood borne viruses and promotes easy access, reduced stigma, and early diagnosis. Our success shows exactly what European Testing Week aims to highlight. When testing is normalised and treatment is simple to access, people get the help they need and no one is left behind.
Until recent years, Hepatitis C treatments were long, complex, and difficult for people to complete. Direct acting antiviral medications have transformed that landscape. Treatment is now simple, short, and highly effective, with cure often possible within eight to twelve weeks. At Wirral Ways, testing and treatment pathways have been built into every part of our service. Everyone beginning treatment for drug or alcohol use is offered a Hepatitis C test as standard and our teams follow up proactively with anyone at risk. Clinical and outreach teams work together closely to guide people from testing, to diagnosis, to treatment, and to cure.
The visit from The Hepatitis C Trust gave us all a chance to reflect on the years of compassion, consistency, and commitment that brought us to this point. It was also a welcome opportunity for our ODN partners and Wirral Ways colleagues to come together, share lunch, and mark what we have achieved as a team.
Clint Holden, Project Manager leading on Hep C work, said: “I would like to thank all of our staff and volunteers for all of their hard work and commitment to testing. Micro elimination means no one is left behind. Every person tested and treated is a step closer to a future without Hep C. We’ve shown it’s possible to achieve this even in large, complex services if you work with people, not just for them.”
Cluster Lead Nurse at Wirral Ways, Sarah Da Silva Cortez shared: “Achieving micro elimination across our service is a testament to the dedication of the Wirral Ways team and Sharon, our Hepatology Specialist Nurse (WUTH). It demonstrates cross organisation collaboration, from Diane Locke, in our admin team, processing the results in such a timely and efficient manner to our keyworkers and medics getting tests done, it is a real team effort. This milestone goes beyond testing; it’s about education, ongoing support, and guiding the people we support through treatment to ensure lasting health outcomes.”
Healthcare Assistant, Julie Murphy added: “Our Hep C work is paramount. There is no stigma to testing. When people come in to get tested they will receive their results within 21 weeks. It truly is a fabulous service.”
Finally Paul Groom, Harm Reduction Healthcare Assistant said: “We should all be very proud of achieving micro elimination status at Wirral Ways. This has involved everyone within our service. We have all been promoting BBV testing with the people we support. Micro elimination is a step to celebrate because the people we support are considered a high risk group. We are aware that most individuals have been screened, and any positive results have been referred for treatment. It is a step towards the WHO’s aim of HCV elimination. Well done everyone.”
A huge thank you to The Hepatitis C Trust and our ODN team for their continued support and to every Wirral Ways staff member who has contributed to this achievement. From testing and treatment, to outreach, engagement, and harm reduction, every strand of our work has helped create lasting change.
This is proof of what can happen when compassion, collaboration, and commitment all move in the same direction. Together, we are showing that eliminating Hepatitis C is possible, one person and one community at a time.
For more information
- Change Grow Live (CGL) is a national health and social care charity that supports people to change their lives for the better. Services operate across the UK and include support for drug and alcohol use, mental health, housing, family services, and the justice system.
www.changegrowlive.org - Wirral Ways is part of CGL and provides free, confidential support for adults in Wirral who are affected by drug or alcohol use. Support is person centred, inclusive, and grounded in local communities.
www.wirralways.org.uk - NHS England’s Hepatitis C Elimination Programme is an internationally recognised initiative aiming to eliminate Hepatitis C as a major public health threat in England by 2025.
www.england.nhs.uk/hepatitis-c - The Hepatitis C Trust is the UK’s national charity for hepatitis C and works to eliminate the virus through advocacy, awareness, peer support, and community engagement.
www.hepatitisctrust.org.uk - Micro elimination is the process of eliminating Hepatitis C within a specific population or setting, such as a drug and alcohol service. It is a key strategy used nationally and globally to help reach wider elimination targets.
Hepatitis C in the UK: 2020 report
www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-c-in-the-uk - European Testing Week encourages people and services across Europe to increase testing and awareness of Hepatitis C, HIV, and other blood borne viruses. It aims to reduce stigma, improve early diagnosis, and support better access to treatment.
www.testingweek.eu - Direct acting antiviral treatments are modern medications that can cure Hepatitis C in eight to twelve weeks with very few side effects. Information about treatment is available on the NHS website.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-c - Blood borne virus testing, harm reduction, and treatment guidance for drug and alcohol services is available through UK Health Security Agency resources.
www.gov.uk/government/collections/hepatitis-c-guidance-data-and-analysis
Last Updated on 18 November 2025