Hepatitis C Look Back

The National Public Health Service (NPHS) and Gwynedd Local Health Board were notified of a healthcare worker diagnosed with Hepatitis C on 3rd October 2005. The healthcare worker stopped working from that date.

Gwynedd Local Health Board and the NPHS immediately established an Incident Management Team (IMT) to investigate possible contacts of the hepatitis C positive healthcare worker.  The IMT then sought advice from the United Kingdom Advisory Panel on Blood Borne Viruses (UKAP). The response received on 21 December 2005, recommended a Look Back of the healthcare worker’s patients. In January 2006, the IMT requested the healthcare worker’s patients’ notes. A complete list was received during April. The incident management team is preparing a list of patients who have been in contact with the healthcare worker but these are still to be verified by the patients’ GPs.  These patients will then be offered counselling and screening.  

The risk of patients contracting hepatitis C from an infected healthcare worker is very small.  However, on a precautionary basis, it was considered appropriate by the incident team to identify patients that have been treated by the healthcare worker.

The Incident Management Team has established a telephone line through NHS Direct on 0845 6006086 which is open from 7.00 am to 8.00 pm on weekdays and 7.00 am to 4.00 pm at weekends.