TB outbreak at Royal Sussex County Hospital sparks urgent investigation

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A “serious incident” has been declared at a Brighton hospital as an outbreak of tuberculosis has led to 1000 patients and staff being contacted for urgent screening. 

It is understood that a member of staff at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust contracted the disease from a patient, and has subsequently passed it onto another patient.

Tuberculosis is a highly infectious bacterial disease that characterised by minor growths most commonly found in the lungs (but also other tissues). Those who contract the disease may typically suffer from high temperature, night sweats, fatigue, loss of appetite and coughing up blood.

321 patients and 745 staff made aware of the signs and symptoms of TB

A spokesperson for the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals said: “Transmission of the infection was not linked to any deficiencies in care and our management of this incident has received the support of both Public Health England and The TB Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.”

They further claimed that it was ” a strain of TB not routinely seen in hospitals”.

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The trust added: “Hospitals are obviously places where people come when they are unwell, which is why we, like all trusts, have robust plans in place to deal with these issues and help prevent further cases. It is because of these plans and our staff that we don’t see more incidents like this.”

Nearly 400 people have since been screened for signs of the disease but results have shown no further cases have been found.

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