Tuberculosis (TB)

We are a community service and work in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and UK Health Security Agency. We offer advice and support and provide specialist care and information on all aspects of Tuberculosis (TB), including the prevention and treatment of TB, in clinic settings and the home, for people of all ages throughout Leeds.

What our service provides

We provide:

• advice about TB
• support to individuals with TB and latent TB infection (LTBI)
• screening for people who have been in contact with TB
• screening for people who come to live in Leeds from countries where people are more likely to have TB
• Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) the vaccine against TB for eligible children aged 16 and under

We work with all newly diagnosed patients and provide ongoing support at home and in clinics throughout treatment. We arrange screening for people who have been in contact with all active TB cases.

We also screen people coming to live in the UK from countries with a high rate of TB. These people will have had a chest x-ray in their own country before travelling to the UK but the x-ray would only identify TB in the lungs and not Latent TB infection. Latent TB can be detected by a blood test or skin test and treatment may be offered to prevent this becoming active.

NHS England have created an animated video about on latent TB and explains the importance of getting tested. You can watch the animated video on latent TB

We receive a list of newly registered GP patients who have arrived from areas of the world where TB rates are higher than 150 cases per 100,000 population (as defined by the World Health Organisation). They are then invited to contact us for an appointment for TB screening.

What patients say about our service

“I have been treated with respect and care. My wants and needs have always been catered for”.

“I get treated with respect and kindness every time I come for an appointment. They don’t make you feel the least bit uncomfortable”.

Referrals

We accept self referral, GP referral, hospital referral, health professional referral by:

• Email: tbhealthvisitingservice@nhs.net

Referrals for the UK BCG Immunisation Programme can only be made by a healthcare professional.

We respond to queries on all aspects of TB from professionals and the general public.