The liver is the biggest organ in the body, but do you ever think about what it is and the important job it does to keep your body functioning? Did you know for example that the liver filters the blood to remove any unwanted toxins? Or that If the liver stops working, so do the rest of the organs in the body.

The liver is the biggest organ in the body, but do you ever think about what it is and the important job it does to keep your body functioning? Did you know for example that the liver filters the blood to remove any unwanted toxins? Or that If the liver stops working, so do the rest of the organs in the body.

Your liver is not unbreakable, and unlike if you break a limb whilst playing sport, it cannot repair itself – unfortunately any damage is permanent.

For such a vital organ your liver can take a lot of punishment from being overweight, excessive amounts of alcohol, or even from a liver disease, and one disease would be hepatitis C. But what actually is hepatitis C?  How can you protect yourself from it and what is Queen Alexandra Hospital doing for the local community that already have it? As the Health Protection Agency (HPA) estimates there are around 754 cases of Hepatitis C in Portsmouth and 2866 in Hampshire alone, this figure equals to around half of the Trust’s catchment area.

What is hepatitis C?

Let’s start with the basic – what is hepatitis C? Hepatitis C is an infection that can cause swelling and scarring of the liver tissue and can sometimes leave significant liver damage.

Most people don’t know they have hepatitis C as it can take many years for symptoms to appear; then by the time they realise a considerable amount of damage has already been done from contracting it decades before, making it difficult to establish how it started. So how can you catch it and what things should we be looking out for?

How can you catch hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C can be transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. This could be through sharing needles when injecting recreational drugs or having a tattoo or body piercing done with equipment that has not been properly sterilised. Before 1991 catching hepatitis C through blood transfusions was also common. However this is no longer the case as all blood used is now screened and is only used if the virus is not present.

What is Queen Alexandra Hospital doing for the community that already have it?

Historically, people with hepatitis C had to travel toSouthampton to receive treatment, but since September of this year a new service has been created to give hepatitis C treatment to people locally. The team is still at an early stage but aims to have 50 people on treatment before the new financial year.

‘Our team does a lot more than just dispensing medication and taking blood,’ says Kirsty Fancey, Hepatology Nurse Specialist at Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA).

‘The medication we give to our service users can sometimes make them vulnerable to other infections and may cause a number of side effects. So we have to not only monitor the patient’s blood closely but also offer each individual support and guidance as they experience side effects such as depression, anxiety, suppressed appetite or skin reactions.

‘From my ten years of experience I know when you see patients frequently and offer them vital support through counselling and consoling them, you have better long-term results," says Kirsty.

Kristy says some people will also have an alcohol addiction, so she will work with the alcohol team to reduce levels so that treatment for hepatitis C can be as effective as possible

"We work with the alcohol specialist nursing team to try and lower the individual’s intake of alcohol before they start treatment. By doing this we are not only helping the service user, especially in having a better chance of recovery, but also cut down any future costs of the patient having to retake treatment as the first course was less effective from the alcohol."

There are over 100 people already on the waiting list to receive treatment from the Hepatology team, and with an average of four new referrals a week the service is moving at a fast-pace. "We’re steadily improving the service we offer to our local community and I’m confident that we’re already having a huge impact on the lives of those under treatment.

"If we can educate people in order to catch the infection in time and get the individual on treatment to clear the virus, then we’re stopping the disease from progressing, to prevent people having complications of end stage liver disease and possibly going on to have a liver transplant or develop a liver cancer, ‘ says Kirsty.

Richard Aspinall, Consultant Hepatologist, leads the service and says: "We know that Hepatitis C is a significant national and local health issue.

‘Between 50 and 70 new cases from thePortsmouthcity area are diagnosed every year. We know that there is a certain stigma attached to Hepatitis C and some people maybe nervous about coming forward to get treated. We would urge anyone who has Hepatitis C or who thinks they may have it to contact their doctor as soon as possible.

Many people with Hepatitis C feel normal and have no symptoms or problems at all. However, there are others who suffer from symptoms which include loss of concentration, fatigue or aches and pains in their joints.

If anyone is concerned that they may have Hepatitis C they should contact their GP as soon as possible.’