New $32,000 GeneXpert device cuts hep C testing times from two weeks to an hour at Alice Springs Hospital

A new machine has bypassed the need for blood tests to be sent east for analysis in the Red Centre, cutting wait times down for results from two weeks to an hour. Find out more.

NT Health Viral Hepatitis Clinical Nurse Specialist at Clinic 34 Khim Tan and Dr Dan Wilson with the GeneXpert device used for rapid, point-of-care testing for Hepatitis C in Alice Springs

Test times for a disease which affects the liver have been slashed in the Red Centre, with a new machine cutting waiting times for results down from two weeks to an hour – and it’s free to use.

Alice Springs Hospital now hosts a GeneXpert device – worth around $32,000 – which is a new point-of-care testing device for hepatitis C.

The machine is designed to identify if hep C is evident, so treatment can begin immediately.

Previously, patients at Alice Springs Hospital had to wait two weeks for results to come back for a hep C test, but the new device allows tests to be conducted on-site – with results delivered in an hour.

Northern Territory health minister Selena Uibo said Territorians deserved the best health care no matter where they lived.

“This new test will mean Territorians living in Central Australia can immediately seek treatment for hepatitis C,” she said.

Currently, 74,000 Australians have hep C, with Central Australian residents among the cohort – with treatment available which can cure it.

“We have really safe, effective treatments that mean a person can get rid of hepatitis C – effectively helping clients to improve their long-term health and feel better,” Ms Uibo said.

The new machine is part of a national testing program, with NT Health collaborating with Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales.

The test is now available at clinic 34 in Alice Springs Hospital, with future plans to expand testing out to Tennant Creek.