It’s taken four years, but finally our community-based tuberculosis (TB) team in Calderdale can again screen people coming to the UK from places with a high TB prevalence, with many now getting the treatment they need.

The team is responsible for helping keep the infection under control by actively seeking those who may be at risk of latent TB*.

Specialist Nurse, Mary Hardcastle (left), said: “Right up to 2019 we had successful community clinics running because we had access to the right data. We were able to screen new entrants and if necessary, signpost them to the right healthcare facilities. We managed to treat many individuals who would otherwise have slipped through the net.

“And then Covid hit, and whilst we had to stop our clinics, people were still coming into the UK.

“Fast forward to September 2023 and we finally managed to get access to this new entrant data again. It’s taken four years of emails, meetings, letters, case studies and determination. I’ve often felt like a dog with a bone – but I wasn’t giving up.

“Since September we have had 600 patients referred to us, and our small team is currently working through them, and we run daily clinics. We have already seen many new entrants and started many on treatment.

“Many people think TB is eradicated but it’s not.”

Director of Operations, Michael Folan, said: “Mary and the team have done an excellent job working with local and national teams to get to this point. The team’s screening and co-ordination role is a key public health intervention for us and central to avoiding outbreaks and significant increases in cases locally. It’s fantastic work all round.”

*Latent TB is where people can be infected with the TB bacteria, but do not have TB disease. The bacteria can sleep in your body for years, however there is always the risk that latent TB can become active and make you ill and infectious to other people.

Pictured: Mary, Dr Nicholas Scriven and Manjinder Kaur.