Patients contacted over TB scare

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About 500 former patients are being contacted after a health worker at a hospital developed the early stages of tuberculosis.

The University Hospital in Coventry said the worker is now getting better.

It is in the process of contacting patients who were treated on ward 10 between October 2006 and 19 January.

The risk of patients contracting the illness is "absolutely minimal" and contacting them is a precautionary measure, the hospital said.

It said most patients will not have come into contact with the staff member in question, who has not been identified.

'Very low'

Associate medical director, Dr Rob Higgins, said: "I must reassure people it really is just that ward 10.

"No one else in any other part of the hospital is at risk and in any case the risk of catching tuberculosis from a health worker in hospital is absolutely minimal.

"In order to contact TB normally there needs to be the sort of contact with somebody who's infectious that is equivalent to living under the same roof - just as you don't catch TB walking past somebody in the street who coughs.

"The risk of exposure in health care situations has shown to be very low.

"We're following national good practice guidelines, which say patients within the time period should be informed.

"If they have any concerns, they can contact us."