Around 5,000 patients are to be contacted after it was revealed a former healthcare worker at Caerphilly Miners’ Hospital was diagnosed with hepatitis C.
Two patients in Wales have been identified as having hepatitis C transmitted from the retired obstetrics and gynaecology worker.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is writing to at least 3,000 patients this week and a further 2,000 patients next week, who have been identified as having definitely or possibly received certain procedures from the unnamed healthcare worker.
The vast majority are in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s area.
The healthcare worker’s main employment in Wales was between May 1984 and July 2003 at Caerphilly District Miners’ Hospital, but also for a short time at the former East Glamorgan Hospital between May and July 1984 and Wrexham Maelor Hospital, between May and June 1978.
During the healthcare worker’s career, time was also spent working in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In a written statement, Welsh Health Minister Mark Drakeford said: “People who receive a letter are being offered counselling and advice on what to do next.
“The letter provides details of a dedicated telephone helpline number which is staffed with trained individuals.
“Clinics have been set up to provide testing for these individuals and appointments will be arranged over the helpline. NHS Direct Wales, on 0845 46 47, is providing a general helpline service for those who may be concerned, but have not been identified through the Patient Notification Exercise.
“UKAP is advising the Welsh response as part of a UK-wide approach. Further patients may be contacted in the light of additional advice on risk categories. The response is also being supported throughout by Public Health Wales.
“The identity of the healthcare worker is not being released. It is extremely important that all hepatitis C infected patients, including healthcare workers, receive the same right to confidentiality as any other patient seeking or receiving medical care.
“Like most people who are infected with hepatitis C, the healthcare worker had no symptoms and was unaware of the infection until after retirement. As soon as a transmission was confirmed, an incident response was put in place.”
Since 2007, all healthcare workers who are new to the NHS should be offered a hepatitis C test and anyone performing surgical procedures for the first time (known as Exposure Prone Procedures) should be tested for hepatitis C by their employing Trust or Health Board.
Professor Drakeford added: “I want to emphasise that the risk of infection is low and that we are offering testing purely as a precaution. As few as 1 in 250 people in the UK carry Hepatitis C infection which does not automatically lead to health problems. It is important to identify people who may have been infected because treatment can help clear the infection in up to 80% of cases.”
Hepatitis C is a virus which can lead to inflammation of the liver, causing chronic liver disease and in some rare cases liver cancer.
The virus is transmitted via blood-to-blood contact. It cannot be transmitted by social contact, kissing or sharing food and drink.