Attendance rate at liver disease clinics soar following a change in tactics by medics

Numbers of hepatitis C patients failing to attend clinic sessions in Barnsley have been slashed from three out of every four to just eight per cent, following work to improve the situation.
Goldthorpe and the Dearne Valley account for a large part of Humankind referallsGoldthorpe and the Dearne Valley account for a large part of Humankind referalls
Goldthorpe and the Dearne Valley account for a large part of Humankind referalls

The transformation has put Barnsley in the spotlight as a model of good practise, councillors have been told, with other areas now looking to repeat the work done locally.

Hepatitis C is a liver condition which often affects drug users and the improvement in getting patients to attend medical sessions has been achieved by synchronising those sessions to run alongside other appointment that users are expected to attend.

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Details of the success were given to councillors who make up the Dearne Area Council, a body which operates within Barnsley Council to improve the quality of life for residents in that area.

A rehabilitation organisation called Humankind operates from the Factory in Goldthorpe and councillors were told a hepatitis C clinic operates there for half a day each week, meaning appointments can be matched to help the local centre perform in the same way as the service across Barnsley.

Councillors were told Humankind had recently had a positive examination from the Care Quality Commission, a watchdog which ensures health service organisations operate to a satisfactory standard, with guidance that the service was performing at the top end of the “good” categorisation.

The Dearne area accounts for around a third of Humankind’s caseload across Barnsley and it has recently adjusted the balance of its staff to ensure help is available for those who need it.

Humankind runs various groups for those recovering from abuse problems, including cannabis and alcohol. A readers’ group also takes place, to provide a focus for those with an interest in books.