Ministers set up an expert group in 2001 to assess the potential health risks posed to patients from health care workers new to the NHS infected with serious communicable diseases, in particular HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and tuberculosis, and to report back on options to minimise these risks. The expert group reported back to Ministers with their recommendations. These recommendations were accepted by Ministers and formed the basis of draft guidance which was issued for consultation in 2003. A final version of the guidance was published in March 2007.
Published: 16 March 2007
This guidance recommends that all new health care workers have checks for tuberculosis disease/immunity and the offer of hepatitis B immunisation, with post-immunisation testing of response and the offer of tests for hepatitis C and HIV. For new health care workers who will perform exposure-prone procedures (EPPs), additional health clearance is recommended for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
This guidance is not intended to prevent those infected with blood-borne viruses from working in the NHS, but to restrict them from working in those clinical areas where their infection may pose a risk to patients in their care. This is consistent with existing policy, which imposes restrictions on the working practices of those health care workers known to be infectious carriers of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the interests of patient safety.
Health care workers may benefit from these new health clearance arrangements both personally (e.g. earlier diagnosis may lead to curative or life-prolonging treatment and prevention of onward transmission) and professionally (e.g. avoiding work activities that may pose a risk to their own health and making career choices appropriate to their infection status).
