A consultation
into relaxing the restrictions placed on the work that can be
undertaken by HIV positive healthcare workers was launched today
by Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies, following a review by
a group of leading experts.
The Expert Advisory Group on AIDS, the UK Advisory Panel of
Healthcare Workers Infected with Blood-borne Viruses and the
Advisory Group on Hepatitis jointly examined evidence around the
risk of HIV transmission from healthcare workers with HIV to
patients.
They found that there have been no reported transmissions of HIV
from healthcare workers even though there have been investigations
involving 10,000 patients who were tested for HIV. They also found
that few other countries have such tight restrictions as the UK does.
Under the current system, healthcare workers diagnosed with HIV
are not allowed to perform most surgical or dental procedures.
These restrictions will remain in place until the outcome of the
consultation is decided.
The expert advisory groups concluded that the risk of HIV
transmission from a healthcare worker who is undiagnosed and
untreated is extremely low for the most invasive procedures such
as open cardiac surgery. It is negligible from the least invasive
procedures such as a local anaesthetic injection in dentistry.
The risk of HIV infection to any patient having the most invasive
type of exposure prone procedure – such as open cardiac surgery -
has been estimated as about one in five million, which is a
similar level of risk to being struck and killed by lightning.
These risks can be reduced even further by effective
antiretroviral drug therapy.
The consultation invites views from the medical community as well
as the public on whether current restrictions should be maintained
or how the expert group’s findings could be implemented effectively.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies
said:
“Patient safety is always our top priority. Our knowledge and
understanding and the treatment of HIV have all developed
enormously over the last 25 years. It is right that we now
consider our current guidelines to reflect what the science is
telling us about the risk of HIV transmission from healthcare
workers with HIV to patients.
“There are currently around 110 healthcare workers with HIV [in
England] who might be affected by the current restrictions. We
need to ensure that the guidelines and restrictions imposed are
evidence-based and achieve a fair balance between patient safety
and the rights and responsibilities of healthcare workers with HIV.
”This consultation will seek wide views on the expert advice and
whether it should be accepted.”
Chairman of the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS,
Professor Brian Gazzard said:
“I welcome this consultation. Our careful review of the evidence
suggests that the current restrictions on healthcare workers with
HIV are now out of step with evidence about the minimal risk of
transmission of infection to patients and policies in most other
countries.
“This risk can be reduced even further if the healthcare worker
is taking effective drug therapy for HIV and being monitored by
HIV and occupational health specialists. “
Sir Nick Partridge, Chief Executive of HIV and
sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said:
"It's right to review these restrictions in the
light of modern evidence.
We know far more now about HIV and its transmission than we did
when these rules were made.
“We look forward to their reform, so that highly trained
healthcare workers are no longer needlessly lost to the NHS."
END
Notes to Editors:
A copy of the consultation can be found at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_131532
The annual risk to the general population of being struck and
killed by lightning (about 1 in 10 million) is of the same order
of magnitude of risk as a patient being infected with HIV from an
infected healthcare worker during the most invasive type of
exposure prone procedure. such as open cardiac surgery or
hysterectomy (about 1 in 5 million).For further information, call
the Department of Health press office on 020 7210 5221
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk