July 2010 Latest Resource

The latest resource released by the NKS – TB is

The WHO guidelines on Tuberculosis and air travel 2008 (3rd edition) : Further guidance for HPA staff This document provides  clarification to heath protection units (HPU) and public health staff coordinating a response to a tuberculosis (TB) incident associated with air travel.

In March 2010 the NKS- TB released a number of resources which are intended to support HIV tests in TB clinics. In September 2008, guidelines were issued by the British HIV Association, the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV and the British Infection Society which recommended more widespread HIV testing in clinical services such as TB clinics. The new resources, which aim to promote this goal,  were developed in collaboration with representatives of Primary Care Trusts, Respiratory Medicine Clinics, HIV services and voluntary organisations including TB Alert and National African HIV Prevention.

The materials developed include information for healthcare workers and flip charts and TB information cards for TB patients. All resources for patients are available in 12 languages including English. These can be downloaded from this website.
The HPA, in collaboration with TB services, is undertaking a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness the new materials for patients and healthcare professionals over a six month period, particularly in respect of its impact on the ‘opt out’ policy set out in the 2008 guidelines.

We will shortly release further guidance on tuberculosis and air travel entitled “The WHO guidelines on tuberculosis and air travel 2008 (3rd edition): further guidance for HPA staff.

The rate of tuberculosis is highest among certain vulnerable groups such as homeless people, asylum seekers, individuals in prisons, those co-infected with HIV and substance mis-users. People in these groups and their carers have been targeted in an effort to raise awareness. NKS for TB raises awareness by working with charities and voluntary organisations already supporting patient and public involvement such as Homeless Link, Adfam and TB Alert. All resources developed by the NKS – TB have been piloted with the relevant target groups and can be accessed from here.  Some leaflets released earlier have been revised incorporating user feed back and newer versions been issued.

Governance
A Project Board governs the overall direction of the project. The board comprises members from different professional backgrounds, with expertise and experience in the diagnosis, control and prevention of TB. In addition to developing information or resources relevant to NICE guidelines on TB, they identify gaps and important knowledge areas not addressed by the NICE guidelines.

• National Knowledge Service background
  The National Knowledge Service is committed to facilitating the co-coordinating of all those publicly funded activities which generate, procure, organise, mobilise, localise or promote the use of knowledge.
  Added/updated: 10 February 2010