Enhanced TB service

Management of patients with tuberculosis (TB) is being improved at Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust after the appointment of three new dedicated staff who are seeing patients in the community as well as in hospital. The enhanced TB service will provide better care for patients with TB and improved screening of individuals felt to be at risk of developing this disease, enabling preventative treatment to be provided where appropriate.

Increased funding of £125,000 from NHS Berkshire means that the enhanced service now includes:

• a weekly TB clinic at King Edward VII Hospital in Windsor
• faster visits to patients with suspected or confirmed TB within the Trust
• increased screening of family, friends and healthcare professionals who have come into contact with TB
• visits to homeless shelters and other facilities over the coming months.

East Berkshire in general, and Slough in particular, has among the highest rates of TB outside London. The national rate is around 14 cases per 100,000 people, while for the past few years it has been around 50 cases per 100,000 in Slough. The rate for east Berkshire as a whole was 23.5 per 100,000 in 2010. Local population factors which make TB an ongoing problem include migration to east Berkshire from countries with a high rate of TB infection coupled with high levels of deprivation.

L - R: Dr Sarah Menzies, Lydia Van Heiningen (TB nurse), Dr Jane Democratis (Consultant in Infectious Diseases & Microbiology), Sukwinder Sandhu (TB nurse) and Nabtaj Bagri (TB administrator)

Dr Sarah Menzies, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at the Trust, says: “The burden of TB in the local area continues to be a challenge because of the diverse population that we serve. However, the increased funding means we are now able to offer a much more far-reaching service that will really help us to manage the number of cases we diagnose and get patients the treatment they need as quickly as possible.

“By improving screening of people who have been in contact with TB, and by getting out to more people in their local community we can help patients and improve their general health”.

In addition, the enhanced service will ensure that all patients diagnosed with HIV are screened quickly for TB infection, so that they get the appropriate treatment if required. BCG clinics will also be available for children who qualify for the vaccination, but who have not received it.

Dr Pat Riordan, director of public health at NHS Berkshire, said: “We have a top quality TB team who are now really reaching out into the community and working with those at highest risk to prevent the spread of TB and provide earlier diagnosis.“

Notes to editors:

• Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection, spread through inhaling tiny droplets of saliva from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person. TB mainly affects the lungs. However, the infection can spread to many parts of the body, including the bones and nervous system. Typical symptoms of TB include: a persistent cough, weight loss, night sweats. For more information, visit: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Tuberculosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
• TB symptoms include: cough which lasts for more than three weeks, does not respond to normal medicine and keeps getting worse; fever (high temperature); sweating at night so much that the bed sheets need changing; loss of weight for no reason; fatigue (lack of energy or extreme tiredness); swollen glands; loss of appetite; coughing up blood (this is very rare but requires immediate medical advice)