56 Dean Street Hep B Service

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Chinese National Healthy Living Centre

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. It is particularly prevalent in Chinese communities. There are over 100,000 people of Chinese origin living and working in London and catering remains the most popular occupation. Long hours, language and cultural barriers mean this group has traditionally had poor access to healthcare services.

56 Dean Street, Chelsea and Westminster's flagship sexual health clinic, joined forces with the Chinese National Healthy Living Centre (CNHLC) to develop a weekly Hepatitis B diagnosis, vaccination and treatment service for this hard-to-reach sector of society. The weekly, nurse-led service is held at the CNHLC, with multilingual interpreters provided by the centre. Ninety five per cent of patients do not speak English and most said it was the presence of interpreters that attracted them to the service.

Patients who are diagnosed with chronic Hepatitis B infection attend a separate monthly clinic at 56 Dean Street, which is close to Chinatown.

The service was publicised via local Chinese speaking newspapers and word-of-mouth, ensuring the clinic was full from day one. In the first six months, it saw 269 patients. One in eight was found to have chronic Hepatitis B infection and referred for treatment.

The close collaboration between CNHLC and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's has had a significant impact on the diagnosis and treatment of HBV among one of London's most susceptible communities.