| Patients charged for vaccine that protects against liver cancer |
19 May 2008 @10:34:00 |
NHS patients are being charged up to £160 for the hepatitis B vaccination, one of only two injections available in the UK that can protect against cancer.
In the survey published on World Hepatitis Day by the British Liver Trust, 60 percent of all the GP surgeries questioned admitted to charging people for the vaccination. When asked how much they charged, 19 percent quoted over the £100 mark.
Alison Rogers, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust, says: “This key vaccine is being treated as an optional extra by GPs, priced as a luxury only some patients can afford. This is despite the fact clinical guidelines issued by the Government state that this is essential protection.
“The cost of this approach is not just the charge for the jabs, but the countless lives that are being lost from hepatitis B and liver cancer. The NHS needs to get to grips with the rising numbers of people whose health is being put needlessly at risk.”
The UK is one of the few countries in Europe which have not implemented the universal vaccination policy recommended by the World Health Organisation. In fact, 85 per cent of countries in the world have implemented universal HBV vaccination. Current UK policy, as set out in the Department of Health’s Green Book, recommends selective vaccination of high-risk groups.
The hepatitis B virus causes inflammation of the liver, which can lead to life-threatening damage and even liver cancer, which is almost always fatal.
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For further information please contact:
Sarah Matthews, Press and PR Officer
British Liver Trust, 2 Southampton Road,
Ringwood, BH24 1HY
T: 01425 481320
Email: sarah.matthews@britishlivertrust.org.uk
Mob: 07968 366526
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