Written question asked by Stephen O'Brien (Conservative) on Tuesday, 30 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 6 April 2010. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Thursday, 8 April 2010 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Tuberculosis: Screening

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department has taken to ensure the effectiveness of tuberculosis screening programmes of incoming visitors at (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick airports;

Answer: The Department has provided capital funding of £8 million for the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to install new digital x-ray machines at Gatwick and Heathrow to replace the old ones in a phased programme across 2008-09. These have been installed and are fully functioning.In addition, an electronic notification system for results of screening is being piloted across the country to replace the paper notification system.Medical inspectors are employed at two airports (Gatwick and Heathrow) for the purposes of tuberculosis (TB) screening. At Heathrow there are currently 4.8 permanent whole-time equivalent (WTE) plus locum staff (approximately 1.5 further WTE). At Gatwick, there are two WTE plus one WTE locum staff. At other airports, the medical inspection function is fulfilled on a part-time contract basis.Funding for medical inspection function since 2004 has been provided by primary care trusts and the HPA under various local arrangements, some in partnership with local authorities. Details of such funding, and staff deployment, are not collected centrally.

Secondary information