RCGP Certificate in the Detection,
Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis B and C in Primary Care
Introduction
The RCGP Certificate in the Detection,
Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis B and C in Primary Care
is an educational package with two parts largely aimed at
generalist clinicians such as GPs and nurses already working in
primary care.
The Part 1 certificate provides a basic grounding
in issues around hepatitis B and C. It will be particularly useful
for GPs with a special interest in substance misuse, drugs workers
and those involved in needle exchange and harm reduction services.
This Certificate also provides useful information for others
including commissioners, public health practitioners,
community-based practitioners, pharmacists and service users.
The Part 2 certificate is a continuation of the
Part 1 and will develop further knowledge and skills for primary
care clinicians seeking to provide an increased level of management
for patients with hepatitis B and C, in partnership with secondary
care.
Take a moment and consider some numbers that
highlight the problem of hepatitis B and C virus in the UK:
- There are more than 7,000 new cases of
chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection in the UK each year, mostly
among migrants from higher prevalence countries.
- The UK has a relatively low prevalence of
CHB, estimated at around 0.3% of the overall population. This still
represents a large burden of disease, equating to approximately
180,000 people.
- There are 13,000 new cases of hepatitis C
virus (HCV) infection in the UK per year yet we only manage to
treat around 5,000.
- The Health Protection Agency estimates
there are around 250,000 people infected with HCV in the UK but
others have suggested the prevalence could be as high as
466,000.
People who remain undiagnosed
both with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC)
are at risk of serious liver disease, including cirrhosis, liver
failure and liver cancer, all of which put a large burden on the
NHS.
Hepatitis C is an escalating
problem and detection with accurate diagnosis is a fundamental
step. However, we also need to encourage people into treatment.
Emerging studies suggest that modest increases in treatment numbers
could have big effects on the prevalence of HCV. At present only
around 1% of injecting drug users (IDUs) manage to get treated so
there is plenty of scope for improvement.
E-learning
The Hepatitis B and C: Detection, Diagnosis and Management
e-learning course is the first activity to be completed as part of
the Certificate but can be used as a stand-alone learning resource
or as a refresher. The e-learning course is available to everyone
for free at http://elearning.rcgp.org.uk
Part 1
To obtain the Part 1 of the
Certificate you will need to complete the e-learning course and then
attend one of the RCGP accredited face-to-face training days,
equivalent to six hours continuing professional development
(CPD).
The new RCGP Certificate in the
Detection, Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis B and C National
Training Event is now available at the introductory cost of
£200 per person
National Events 2012
To register for the
face-to-face training days please select the relevant location. If
you are not registered with our website in order to book on-line or
access the e-learning course you will need to do so by selecting
this link:
Register Now
| Thursday 14th June 2012 |
London |
| Thursday 11th October 2012 |
York |
When booking on-line if you
wish to be invoiced please select 'pay by cheque' and email
your invoicing details to hepbandc@rcgp.org.uk
If you wish to pay by cheque
please make cheques payable to the RCGP and send them to the
following address:
FOA Marianne Thompson
RCGP-SMAH
1 Bow Churchyard
London
EC4M 9DQ
Your place on the course will
not be confirmed until the cheque or invoicing details have been
received.
Local Events 2012
Part 2
Part 2 of the Certificate is a
continuation of the Part 1 certificate and is intended to further
increase primary care clinicians’ confidence, through the
establishment of a cadre of viral hepatitis champions - skilled in
assessing hepatitis, monitoring treatment, managing side effects
and potentially developing local services for the community
management of hepatitis B and C in collaboration with colleagues in
secondary care.
This innovative programme involves;
field work; work placed learning, including a short clinical
placement within a secondary care clinic; and reflective learning
logs. Each participant will be assigned a tutor for guidance and
support throughout the course, and will have an approved specialist
hepatologist mentor based within the clinical placement.
How to apply
Applications to enrol in the Hepatitis
B&C Part 2 programme are being accepted now.
For other general
enquiries please contact Substance Misuse and Associated Health
at hepbandc@rcgp.org.uk
The RCGP Certificate
in the detection, diagnosis and management of Hepatitis B and C -
Part One was developed in conjunction with SMMGP (Substance
Misuse Management in General Practice), with funding from the
Health Protection Agency
1In the dark. An audit of hospital hepatitis C
services across England. London: The All Party Parliamentary
Hepatology Group, August 2010.
2Hepatitis C in the UK: Annual Report 2009.
London: Health Protection Agency, December
2009.
3Losing the fight against hepatitis C. London: The
Hepatitis C Trust and the University of Southampton, 2005