What do Public Health Wales and Hywel Dda UHB say?
Public Health Wales and Hywel Dda University Health Board extends our sympathies to all those who have been affected by the outbreak of TB affecting the Llwynhendy area of Carmarthenshire since 2010.
It is clear that the initial response to this outbreak was not satisfactory. We are sincerely sorry to anyone who may have been impacted by this event.
Managing such a complex TB outbreak is challenging due to the elaborate social networks and often extended timescales involved. It is encouraging that the review identifies that the leadership and management improved considerably in the later stages of the TB outbreak and that we continue to work hard to maintain and build upon these standards. We have accepted the recommendations of the review in full and have jointly developed an action plan to address them.
We encourage those 470 people in the Llwynhendy community who have not yet come forward for screening to do so. With their support we can help bring this outbreak to an end. Anyone who has received a letter in the past which has identified them as a potential contact of someone with TB who has not attended a screening appointment should contact call 0300 303 8322 and select option 1 for testing and vaccination in order to arrange this. Alternatively you can email ask.hdd@wales.nhs.uk.
Public Health Wales takes its responsibility to protect the health of people in Wales very seriously. Applying and sharing learning from the external review, we will continue to provide leadership in response to TB in Wales and ensure our processes reflect the latest practices and evidence.
Public Health Wales now has a designated TB lead in the Health Protection team who will have an important role to take this forward. The review found that while the local TB service has improved, arrangements need to be in place to ensure the resilience of the service. Improvements to pharmacy and administrative support for the local TB service are recommended as well as ensuring clear succession planning for the TB Specialist Nurse.
Public Health Wales will also review the findings of the internal review undertaken in 2019 to ensure that any actions not covered by the recommendations of the external review are reviewed and implemented where necessary.
Those affected by the outbreak have been contacted directly and informed of the outcome of the review.