HIV scare hotline is swamped

Nov 14 2006 By Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

MORE than 1,000 Midland anxious patients have inundated a hotline set up over a healthcare worker diagnosed with HIV and Hepatitis B.

The infected employee worked at Birmingham's Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, in Northfield, the Alexandra Hospital in Red-ditch, Kidderminster General Hospital and Evesham Community Hospital during the past six years.

Health chiefs recalled 1,161 patients in Birmingham and Worcestershire who may have contracted one of the viruses from the worker last week for tests.

And they today revealed almost 1,100 of these have so far responded and three quarters of them want a blood test to make sure they are not infected.

A West Midlands Health Authority spokeswoman said: "By the end of Sunday, 1,096 callers had contacted the dedicated helpline set up to support patients with information and advice and offer a blood test for the viruses.

"The vast majority of callers to the helpline, 74 per cent, have so far taken up the offer of blood tests at clinics.

"The hospitals involved are pleased that patients had acted on NHS advice to have blood tests, and recommended that any patients who have not yet contacted the confidential helpline to do so."

The Health Authority and Health Protection Agency have refused to give any information on the HIV health worker, saying that person is now a patient and has the right to confidentiality.

There is no recorded case of transmission of HIV from an infected healthcare worker to a patient in the UK. ..SUPL: