HSE to launch pilot scheme for online hepatitis C testing

Alongside the awarding of the new hepatitis C testing contract, the company has also been given a contract worth a potential €25m over five years for the continuation of the online STI testing service. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The HSE is to launch a pilot scheme for an online hepatitis C testing service, after awarding a contract worth €245,000 to a UK-based company to operate the programme.

A total of 420 cases of hepatitis C were notified to the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in Ireland last year, a rise of 94 on 2020, despite the number of cases notified annually generally being on a downward curve.