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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that no doctor or nurse will be employed in the NHS without first being screened for (a) hepatitis B, (b) hepatitis C, (c) tuberculosis and (d) HIV/AIDS; and if he will ensure that checks are made on existing medical and nursing staff in the NHS. [144005] Miss Melanie Johnson :[holding answer 15 December 2003]: Earlier this year, the Department published draft guidance to the national health service for consultation on health clearance for serious communicable diseases for new healthcare workers. This guidance proposes strengthening existing checks for tuberculosis and hepatitis B and introducing new checks for HIV and hepatitis C for new healthcare workers who will perform exposure prone procedures--where injury to the healthcare worker could expose a patient to the risk of infection from the healthcare worker's blood. Such procedures occur mainly in surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, dentistry and midwifery. "Health Clearance for Serious Communicable Diseases: New Health Care Workers--Draft guidance for consultation" is available on the Department's website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/healthclear/guidance.htm Healthcare workers have a professional responsibility (as set out in guidance from their regulatory bodies and the Department) to promptly seek and follow confidential advice on whether they should be tested if they have any reason to believe they may have been exposed to infection with a serious communicable disease.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

415 c884W;415 c884-5W; 144005

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Doctors Health professions Infectious diseases HIV/AIDS Hepatitis NHS Nurses Screening Tuberculosis

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk