Tuberculosis (TB) team

• Dr Vhairi Bateman (Consultant, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology)

• Dr Diana Webster (Consultant, Public Health)

• Susan Duthie (Lead TB Specialist Nurse)

• Pauline Ganley (TB Specialist Nurse)

• Helen Corrigan (Health Protection Nurse Specialist)

 Who do we see?

• We see patients with all forms of suspected or confirmed mycobacterium infections. These include both active tuberculosis (TB) disease and non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections. Although TB can affect all parts of the body, TB involving the lungs is consistently found in just over 50% of all cases in the UK. NTM infections mainly affect the lungs but can also include skin or lymph nodes, and are rarely disseminated (widespread).

•  TB, mainly of the lungs, can sometimes be infectious to others. This usually depends on the site of the infection, the amount of bacteria present, and the environment where contact with others takes place and the susceptibility to infections of the contact.

•  We carry out risk assessments to identify all contacts of potentially infectious cases and offer them screening. We also offer proactive screening for TB to specific groups in the community who are considered at higher risk of going onto develop active TB e.g. new entrants form countries of high incidence of TB, the underserved population e.g. homeless person and those who are receiving certain immunosuppressing treatments.

•  We manage all those who are diagnosed with latent TB infection. These people are asymptomatic and non-infectious. We offer treatment to reduce their risk of the latent TB bacteria becoming active and causing illness in the future. 

•  In addition to management of any patient with TB or NTM we are also involved in training, teaching, research and raising public awareness around mycobacterium infections

How to refer a patient to the TB service? 

For urgent review

• In cases where the referring physician suspects a contagious form of active pulmonary TB urgent discussion with the on-call Infectious Disease Registrar via ARI switchboard, or internally (On Call Consultant for Infectious Diseases) is advised.

 Routine (non-urgent) referrals / general enquiries for GPs

• A new SCI-store referral pathway to the infection unit-TB service, for all patients with suspected or confirmed mycobacterium infections (TB, LTBI, NTM) is active from 1st Jan 2018. Your referral is triaged according to us.

• A close collaboration between the microbiology lab and the TB service exists and we often get notified about a possible case via the lab

• Referrals from private sector occupational health services are accepted via the same e-mail as for in-patient referrals (see below)

 For colleagues within the hospital

•  In-patient review: nhsg.inpatienttbreferral@nhs.net

• Out of hours urgent call the on call Infectious Disease Registrar (number on Rotawatch)

Location of clinic

• Patients with TB are seen in Clinic C (Orange Zone)

• Patients with NTM are seen in the out-patient clinic located in Ward 111, Emergency Care Centre (Green Zone)

 Day of clinic

• Mondays (one TB clinic/month and one NTM clinic/month). Ad-hoc extra reviews can be organised as clinically indicated

• TB Screening clinics are held weekly, usually on Mondays and Fridays throughout the year