Chief Health Officer Alert

This is to update information contained in the Chief Health Officer alert of 9 April 2010 regarding the hepatitis C cluster associated with the Croydon Day Surgery (CDS).
The Department is undertaking a "lookback" program to identify all women who attended CDS between 2006 and 2009 and who had a procedure involving the doctor implicated as the source of the cluster of infections.
As we identify women in scope, we are requesting that they arrange to see their general practitioner for pre-test counselling and testing, if possible. If the woman does not have a general practitioner or would prefer not to see him/her, then the Department is offering appointments at our offices.
If women present to you, please either:
a) collect blood at your practice and send to the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory marked "DH hepatitis C lookback", or
b) send the patient to your usual pathology collection service, with a request for hepatitis C antibody and PCR for hepatitis C RNA, and marked "DH hepatitis C lookback". Melbourne Pathology, Dorevitch and Gribbles have agreed that this service will be bulk billed if you mark the request in this way. If you use another laboratory, please contact us and we may be able to make similar arrangements.
For further information please contact the hepatitis C call centre on 1300 365 677.

Yours sincerely
Dr John Carnie
Chief Health Officer

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