- Reference Number: HEY1536/2025
- Departments: Infection Prevention and Control
- Last Updated: 31 August 2025
Introduction
This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in the Emergency Department. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team caring for you.
What is routine testing for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV in Emergency Departments?
As part of a national NHS programme, from the 1st of October 2025 all patients over the age of 18 that visit one of our emergency departments and need a blood test will also be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. This routine testing will take place in the Emergency Departments at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary and Scunthorpe General Hospital. If you do not wish to be tested for these diseases you can opt out by letting the member of staff who takes your blood know. These tests are taken alongside the other tests you require for your emergency assessment. You will not be tested if you do not require other blood tests.
Why do I need testing for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV
Routine testing allows us to diagnose these infections earlier and this means that treatment can be started sooner, allowing people to live healthier lives and stop infection being passed on to anyone else.
Can there be any complications or risks?
No, this is a simple blood test that happens alongside your other blood tests. If you do not wish to be tested just let the member of staff who takes your blood know.
What will happen?
Results take up to four working days to be ready. This means that you will not get these results on the day that you attend the emergency department. If your results are all negative then you will not hear anything: no news is good news.
If any of your results are positive, you will be contacted by either telephone or post and asked to attend a clinic appointment to discuss the results. Further information and support will be available when you attend the appointment.
Sometimes the test cannot be performed or the result is unclear. In this case you will also be contacted either by telephone or by post to see if the test should be repeated. Please ensure the hospital has the correct contact details for you.
Please do not contact the Emergency Department for these test results, as they will not be able to provide results or any further information. You will be contacted by a specialist in the HIV or Hepatitis team.
Information about Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV
Hepatitis B:
Hepatitis B is a liver disease and can lead to serious liver problems in some patients. Many people who get infected with hepatitis B as children grow into adults without knowing that they have chronic hepatitis B.
All people living with Hepatitis B need regular check-ups to see how their liver is coping with the infection. Treatment is very effective and is usually in the form of tablets. If you have hepatitis B it is important to vaccinate those that live with you to prevent them from getting hepatitis B. These vaccines can be provided free of charge by your GP.
Hepatitis C:
Hepatitis C is a liver disease and can lead to serious liver problems if not treated. You can have hepatitis C for many years and it can damage the liver before you notice any symptoms. Hepatitis C is curable with a course of tablets, taken for 8-12 weeks. You are unlikely to experience side-effects from the treatment. If you have had hepatitis C in the past, it is possible catch it again so it is still worth being tested.
HIV:
HIV is a virus that attacks and weakens the immune system. People can be infected with this virus for many years without knowing it because there might not be any specific symptoms. If left untreated, HIV can lead to serious health problems, but with early diagnosis and effective treatment, people with HIV can live long and healthy lives. The good news is that HIV is easily treatable with modern medications that are highly effective and have few side effects. Treatment lowers the amount of virus in the blood to undetectable levels, protects the immune systems and prevents it from being passed onto others.
For further information or support
Further information and support on hepatitis B: British Liver Trust
https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/liver-conditions/hepatitis-b/
NHS:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-b/
Further information and support on hepatitis C: Hepatitis C Trust: www.hepctrust.org.uk
Further information and support on HIV: Terrance Higgins Trust:
Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this leaflet, please do not hesitate to contact the Department of Infection on tel: 01482 622267.
If you would like confirmation of your results you can email the HIV team at:
hyp-tr.arv.specialistnurse@nhs.net
or the hepatitis team at:
hyp-tr.huthhepatitisnurses@nhs.net
General Advice and Consent
Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.
Consent to treatment
Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.
The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:
- you must be able to give your consent
- you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
- you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person
Information about you
We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.
We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.
If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.
