CURE-IT hepatitis program wins award

A program to cure hepatitis C has won the Queensland Health Award for Excellence in Connecting Healthcare.

The CURE-IT program has cured more than 250 people in the first year and another 150 people in treatment.

TPCH Executive Director Anthony Williams said the partnership between The Prince Charles Hospital, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane North PHN and community organisation QuIHN is one of the most successful models of care to treat hepatitis in the community.

“The CURE-IT partnership model supports community organisations and GPs in the community to treat patients with hepatitis C and provides education and advice to GPs in regional areas,” he said.

The program uses new medication that has only been available since early 2016, as well as providing blood tests and mobile liver scanning.

“This is a vulnerable group of people who may not access conventional healthcare so the success rates have been good because we’ve been taking the cure to the patients in the community, with expert advice from gastroenterologists available as needed,” Mr Williams said.