§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement concerning the risk to patients and the contraction of TB by a patient at Barnet hospital from another patient. [60]
§ Yvette CooperIn line with departmental recommendations, Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals NHS trust has an infection control policy that covers the situations in which it is necessary for patients to be nursed in isolation. This includes patients who are thought likely to have the more infectious forms of tuberculosis.
Patients are placed in their own room and are asked not to leave the room unnecessarily and not to have contact with other patients. Staff entering the room wear disposable gowns and gloves to prevent the spread of infection.
A long-term patient at Barnet hospital was recently found, following a routine test, to have contracted TB. It is possible that the TB had been dormant in the patient for some time. The patient was immediately put in a side room. Once it became apparent chat the patient had contracted TB, 23 patients were recalled for testing. None of them has contracted the disease. However, 10 higher risk individuals are having follow-up tests as a precautionary measure. The trust is managing this incident in liaison with the communicable disease surveillance centre.