Implementation of the hepatitis C guidelines in UK health care workers.

Background: The UK Health Department circular HSC 2002/010 requires health care employers to test certain groups of health care workers (HCWs) for hepatitis C, without additional funding. Little is known about the consistency of implementation of such guidelines.

Aim: This study audited the process, completeness and problems of implementation of circular HSC 2002/010 in acute and ambulance trusts in London and the Southeast of England.

Method: Telephone questionnaire survey of 51 National Health Service trusts between July and October 2005.

Results: The response rate was 92% (47/51). Eighty-five per cent (40/47) of the trusts reported partial or full implementation of the guidance. All compliant trusts reported testing HCWs entering exposure prone procedure specialities, although 40% (16/40) were testing more staff than specified in the guidance.

Conclusion: Most trusts (85%) in this audit reported having implemented the guidance 3 years after publication and 90% claimed not to have needed additional funding. Implementation may be improved by greater clarity about which staff should be tested, frequency of testing and by raising HCWs awareness about hepatitis C infection and treatment. Newly published health clearance guidance addresses some of these points.