Grandmother grateful for new hepatitis screening
BBCA 71-year-old grandmother is among those to have been diagnosed with hepatitis B as a result of a new screening programme.
Renuka Chandan, from Sutton Coldfield, went to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham in December with stomach pains.
Whilst there, she was given a blood test to screen for hepatitis and HIV and will now be monitored by doctors.
The opt-out testing for all patients aged 16 and over was extended to the Heartlands and Good Hope Hospitals in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Ms Chandan said she was grateful for the testing which identified her condition and believed it was important for people to be open about their illnesses.
"I think one should talk about it, because you're not only helping yourself, you're helping other people and hence the wider community," she said.
Hepatitis is the term used to describe inflammation of the liver, usually caused by a viral infection or alcohol-related damage, according to the NHS.
If not treated it can cause liver damage which could lead to cancer.
There are currently 64 emergency departments around the country carrying out the tests for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, alongside HIV.
People receiving a blood test at those hospitals are automatically tested, unless they opt out.
The screening programme has resulted in 7,300 people being diagnosed with these viruses.
At Queen Elizabeth Hospital, more than 22,500 tests have been carried out since the initiative started there in September last year, resulting in 36 new diagnoses, including four for HIV.
The testing has also identified 55 people previously diagnosed who were not receiving appropriate care.
Dr Steve Taylor, the clinical director leading the initiative in Birmingham, said it had seen "significant results".
He said early diagnosis was important because HIV and hepatitis could cause "substantial damage" before any symptoms appeared and there were medicines which could help.
He also said effective treatment of HIV prevented transmission to sexual partners.
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