Today, Monday 25 July, marks the start of Hepatitis C week.
Get tested, get treated, get cured. is the message that the Liver Service Team at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals will be spreading this week, as they deliver a week of awareness raising events across the organisation and within the local community. Testing for Hepatitis C has never been easier and a simple finger prick test will tell you if you have it.
This week, the team will be launching their awareness campaign by visiting wards around Blackpool Teaching Hospitals to share important messages and give out details on how patients can be referred into the service.
Mike Simpkin, Clinic Nurse Specialists for the Liver Service, commented: “Hepatitis C often does not have any noticeable symptoms until the liver has been significantly damaged. This means many people have the infection without realising it making it more important for people to get tested, especially if they have had a recent experience of blood-to-blood contact.”
This year, the campaign nationally is also giving something back to our environment and purple flowers will be placed at locations in Blackpool and Fleetwood to raise awareness, clues on where the locations will be teased out via social media on Wednesday 27 July 2022.
Then on Thursday 28 July, the regional Hep C Team will be walking from Blackpool North Pier from 10am to the South Pier whilst chatting with members of the public. The team, wearing branded t-shirts and handing out leaflets will aim to signpost as many people as possible to get tested for the virus. To conclude the day’s activities The Blackpool Tower will illuminate in purple to spread further awareness.
Keep an eye on the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals social media pages to see their progress on the day.
If you can not make any of these events or would simply like to know more, please contact the team on: Bfwh.liverservice@nhs.net or call the team on their new contact number on 01253 958073.