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AIDS/HIV Infected Health Care Workers: Guidance on the Management of Infected Health Care Workers and Patient Notification
SUMMARY
This guidance is intended to replace the previous version published in 1998 and includes updated advice on patient notification exercises. The advice reflects the new policy (announced in November 2001) on the need for patient notification exercises when a health care worker (HCW) is found to be infected with HIV. It follows expert advice from the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (EAGA) and UK Advisory Panel for Health Care Workers Infected with Blood-borne Viruses (UKAP). They advise that it is no longer necessary to notify every patient who has undergone an exposure prone procedure by an infected HCW because of the low risk of transmission and the anxiety caused to patients and the wider public.
It is recommended that the decision on whether a patient notification exercise should be undertaken should be assessed on a case-by-case basis using a criteria based framework. Directors of Public Health (DsPH) of Primary Care Trusts/NHS Boards in Scotland will be responsible for deciding whether patient notification is necessary, although UKAP will be available to provide advice.
The guidance document aims to assist Directors of Public Health and relevant health professionals in:
quantifying the level of risk associated with clinical procedures that are classified as exposure prone; and
providing clear criteria to use when assessing whether a patient notification exercise is warranted, and if so, its extent.
We should be grateful for comments in general on:
the scope and content of the guidance;
whether there are gaps in the information provided.
And, in particular, on:
section 8 (When a patient notification exercise should be conducted);
section 11 (Guidance on notifying patients).
Please note that responses to this consultation may be made public unless a respondent requests that their views be kept confidential.
Any comments should be sent to
Wendy McKendrick,
Scottish Executive Health Department,
Public Health Division -1,
3E(S) St Andrew's House,
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
or by e-mail to
wendy.mckendrick@scotland.gsi.gov.ukby 22 November 2002.
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