Staff Screening for Tuberculosis Policy
MP 0188/24 - Staff Screening for Tuberculosis Policy (pdf 153KB)
Applicable to: This policy is applicable to all Health Service Providers.
Description: The Staff Screening for Tuberculosis (TB) Policy (the policy) outlines the requirements and management to minimise the risk of TB transmission in high risk workplaces within the healthcare system. Prior to commencing employment or clinical placement, staff and students who are exposed to TB in the course of their work are required to undergo mandatory screening to assess their baseline TB status.
TB is a notifiable infectious disease and reporting of cases of active disease is a mandatory requirement pursuant to Part 9, Division 2 Public Health Act 2016. Latent TB does not need to be notified.
TB is a curable bacterial disease, spread by extended contact with airborne droplets that are transmitted through sneezing and coughing. Initial exposure to TB usually results in the immune system controlling the infection and the TB remaining inactive in the body and not causing disease. This latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is asymptomatic and not infectious. Approximately five to ten percent of individuals with LTBI reactivate to develop TB disease. This can occur months to years later. Undertaking baseline screening for TB identifies people who have LTBI who can then be offered preventative treatment.
TB is uncommon in Australia and rare in staff members working in a clinical setting. However, even in a low incidence setting, occasional exposure is inevitable and there is reliable evidence demonstrating the increased risk of acquiring TB infection and disease among health care staff. Baseline assessment of TB status is useful for a post exposure assessment. In addition, the increasing numbers of staff recruited from countries with high TB incidence means that there is an increased risk that these staff will have acquired TB infection before arrival and may subsequently develop TB in Australia.
The North Metropolitan Health Service oversees the Western Australia TB Control Program (WATBCP) on behalf of the WA health system. This service provides specialist clinical and public health management for all cases of TB including advice and guidance on WA health staff pre-employment assessment and post exposure management.
Inclusion of students in this policy is in accordance with MP 0026/16 Student Clinical Placement Agreement Policy which outlines the minimum requirements for Health Service Providers to facilitate clinical placements. This policy is also consistent with the Work Health and Safety Act 2020.
This policy is a mandatory requirement for Health Service Providers under the Public Health Policy Framework pursuant to section 26(2)(c) of the Health Services Act 2016.
This policy supersedes OD 0342/11 Tuberculosis and Health Care Worker.
Date of effect: 26 November 2024
Policy Framework
Public Health
N10 Pre-Employment Health Assessment (PEHA)
Assessment-Proforma-for-Staff-Working-in-High-Risk-Areas-for-Occupational-TB-Exposure (docx 203KB)
Guidelines for Tuberculosis Control in Western Australia. North Metropolitan Health Service
Department of Health and Aged Care: National Tuberculosis Advisory Committee Guideline: Management of Tuberculosis Risk in Healthcare Workers in Australia
Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare
Tuberculosis-CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Unit-Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care