Hundreds of Notts patients recalled for tests after doctor is diagnosed with HIV

nottingham,city,hospital,nuh,university,hospitals,nhs,trust
Nottingham City Hospital.

A doctor who treated hundreds of patients at Nottingham’s City Hospital has been diagnosed with HIV.

The trust which runs the hospital has written to 223 local patients recalling them for blood tests.

The locum doctor worked at the trust for two years between 2013 and 2015.

Officials warned there is a small risk patients treated on by the doctor could have the virus, and will host emergency clinics where patients can undergo blood tests.

The doctor’s diagnosis was not known when they worked at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust.

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is a blood-borne virus that attacks the immune system and weakens the ability to fight infections and disease.

The virus is found and spreads through certain body fluids, including blood. It is only contracted by exchanging these fluids and not be everyday contact.

A total of 401 patients were treated by the doctor between June 2010 and February 2015, including 121 at Royal Cornwall Hospitals and 57 at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

The doctor no longer works for the NHS and has been referred to the General Medical Council (GMC) who imposed an interim suspension order earlier this year, and an investigation is now underway.

The trust’s medical director, Dr Stephen Fowlie, said: “The risk that any patient has been infected by transmission of the virus from this doctor is extremely low.

“However, because the doctor’s diagnosis was unknown during their employment with us (2013 to 2015), we are contacting patients who had had at-risk operations involving this doctor to advise they return to hospital for a blood test as a precautionary measure.

“Transmission of the virus between an infected healthcare worker and a patient with an open wound can only occur if health workers themselves have an injury with bleeding when they are delivering patient care.

“There is no evidence this happened to this doctor in any patient contact.

“We are arranging clinic appointments, test results within 24 hours, and appropriate support and advice from our specialists for these 223 patients and their families.

“Patients’ siblings and friends have no cause for concern and no other patients have cause for concern.”

Dr David Levy, regional medical director for NHS England Midlands and East, said: “We understand that this will be a worrying time for patients who are being invited for precautionary testing and their families.

“However, clinical evidence shows that the risk of infection is extremely low and it is highly unlikely that any of the patients being contacted will have been infected with HIV.

“Advice and counselling is available for those affected by this recall and we would encourage them to access this support.

“It is our first priority to identify and provide reassurance to the individuals being contacted at this time.

“We continue to work closely with Public Health England and other organisations involved to understand the details of what has been a complex incident.”

The hospital has set up a helpline 0800 0152804 for anyone who is concerned about the news on 0800 0152804.

(Visited 5,437 times, 1 visits today)