A "POSTCODE lottery" facing thousands of Merseyside and Cheshire victims of a virus that causes chronic liver disease has been condemned by MPs.
Several primary care trusts (PCTs) in Wirral and Warrington were praised for implementing an action plan to tackle the growing threat from hepatitis C.
But other PCTs, including those covering Southport and St Helens, were accused of doing little or nothing to implement Department of Health guidelines.
The MPs also expressed suspicion that PCTs that failed to respond to their inquiry, including those in Liverpool and Knowsley, probably had very poor services.
If untreated, the hepatitis C virus - most often spread through sharing needles to inject drugs - can cause cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.
At least 200,000 people countrywide are thought to be infected, but the virus can go undetected for years because it often produces no early symptoms.
The all-party hepatology group of MPs sent a questionnaire to every PCT, asking what information it had on the scale of its hepatitis C problem and what services it offered.
The 63% that responded were then ranked on their responses, with a score of three or fewer points designating a PCT that "has not done nearly enough".
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