Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the case of tuberculosis diagnosed at Young Offender Institution Swinfen Hall in October 2014 is directly linked to the three cases identified at the same site between March and May 2015.
Answered by Ben Gummer
An investigation led by Public Health England was undertaken at HMP & YOI Swinfen Hall into the possibility that a case of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) diagnosed in a prisoner in October 2014 was epidemiologically linked to three cases subsequently diagnosed during 2015. The outcome of the investigation has suggested that the cases could be linked, which has informed subsequent contact screening, and on-going efforts on raising awareness and early recognition of TB symptoms not only in this prison, but across the prison estate especially those receiving transfers from HMP & YOI Swinfen Hall.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether individuals who were released from Young Offender Institution Swinfen Hall since October 2014 have been identified and screened for tuberculosis.
Answered by Ben Gummer
People in close contact with a prisoner diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in HMP & YOI Swinfen Hall in October 2014, during the period of time when the prisoner was infectious, were identified, assessed and offered testing for signs of infection.
Collaborative work between the National Offender Management Service and Public Health England (PHE) allowed the identification of 49 individuals who were subsequently transferred to another prison, as well as 32 released back to the community. Testing and follow up of individuals continues and has been coordinated between PHE centres and local TB services in their area of residence.