Patients alerted after Blackpool nurse found to have HIV

2:00pm Thursday 12th June 2008

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Patients at Blackpool Victoria Hospital have been contacted after a former nurse was found to be HIV positive.

The local hospital trust has written to 14 former patients who had close contact with the male member of staff, who no longer works at the Vic.

Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Health Protection Agency's Cumbria and Lancashire Health Protection Unit have issued a joint statement.

It said: "A healthcare worker who had previously worked at Blackpool Victoria Hospital has since been found to be HIV positive.

"There are well established procedures in place to deal with healthcare workers who have blood-borne viruses and these are currently being followed.

"We have taken advice from the UK Advisory Panel for Healthcare Workers Infected with Bloodborne Viruses and they have informed us that the risk of the healthcare worker having infected any patients is very small indeed.

"Purely as a precautionary measure we have contacted 14 patients to offer them further advice and assessment. Any patients who have not been contacted have no cause for concern.

"It must be stressed that there have been no incidences in the UK of HIV infection being transmitted from a healthcare worker to a patient."