Editor,—No one affected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) will question Professor Dusheiko's insistence on the importance of effective therapy standards for HCV and the funding to meet them (Gut2000;47:159–61OpenUrlFREE Full Text). With research and clinical evidence pointing to a prevalence of HCV infection far in excess of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),1 the issue has now become urgent. Patients and clinicians alike will await the forthcoming NICE appraisal in the hope it recommends in favour of allocating sufficient resources to cover treatment costs for those most in need and best able to benefit.

However, while a positive response will be welcome it will also uncover issues that have still to be fully addressed. These centre on who will/should be selected for treatment …