Yorkshire hospital patients face tests in HIV scare

More than 500 hospital patients in Yorkshire are being offered HIV tests after it emerged a healthcare worker who treated them had the virus.

Three hospital trusts have written to 519 people to offer "precautionary testing".

It affects the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust and York Hospitals Foundation Trust.

Health officials stressed the risk of infection was "extremely low".

All those being written to had undergone "particular types of procedure", a statement from NHS North Yorkshire and York said.

It added that the worker, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was removed from duties where there was a risk of the infection being transmitted as soon as managers became aware of the situation.

The individual no longer works in a role where there is any risk of blood-to-blood contact, the trust said.

Dr David Hepburn, medical director at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, said: "Some 519 patients are expected to receive letters today informing them that a healthcare worker who has been involved in their care has the HIV infection."

He added: "Recalling patients for testing is purely a precautionary measure.

"It does not mean that the infection has been passed on. The risk to patients is extremely low."

Letters have been sent to 371 patients in Hull and East Yorkshire, 47 in Scarborough and North East Yorkshire and 101 in York.