TB: Experiences of new-entrant screening and healthcare access.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Tuberculosis and recent migration to the UK: Examining new-entrant health screening and delays to diagnosis from the patient's perspective.
IRAS ID
132315
Contact name
Jessica Potter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Joint Research Management Office, Barts Health NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
ReDa, 009615
Research summary
Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a significant public health problem in the UK, with over 9000 cases per year, one third of which are in London. National statistics show that over 75% of TB patients were born aboard. Barts Health NHS Trust is the largest TB service in the country and sees approximately 700 cases of TB per annum. A significant proportion of patients come from countries with a high incidence of TB where they may have contracted the disease as a child, after which it has lain dormant. This dormant TB infection can then reactivate years later when triggered by a variety of factors, including migration. New migrants to the UK from high countries with high rates of TB are expected to be screened for the infection before they enter the UK, but this appears to take place only on an adhoc basis. We believe the current screening processes are not robust and this project aims to investigate the patients’ experience of this process and if and when screening took place. Linked to these experiences, when new migrants do develop active TB, they often struggle to access the UK healthcare system. This leads to delays in diagnosis and investigations, which can result in patients being more unwell when they are finally diagnosed, some even die as a result. This project will examine current processes by interviewing new diagnosed TB patients who have recently come to the UK and asking about the story of their journey from health screening through to diagnosis. Both questionnaires and interviews will be used to investigate their experiences. The results will identify where local and national policies can be improved.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
14/IEC08/1004
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion