Improving take-up of hepatitis C services.

Nursing and medical teams from a hepatology clinic and a general practice joined forces to address the issue of non-attendance at appointments by clients with hepatitis C who had been referred to the clinic by the general practice. The aim was to involve clients in the decision-making process. Joint guidelines were developed, taking into account the needs of clients and the aims of both service providers. Before the initiative, 91% of the client group was discharged after repeated non-attendance. After its implementation, this dropped to zero. Effective teamwork and client empowerment are the key strengths of the initiative.