07/12/2023 - Health screening for vulnerable communities

TB screening was offered to people who are at the highest risk of contracting TB such as those who experience homelessness and rough sleeping, ex-offenders, those who engage in commercial sex work or people who are drug and alcohol dependent.

This initiative was funded by Luton Council’s Public Health Team which involves the UCL/NHS mobile x-ray unit, local NHS services and community support workers actively identifying and testing relevant individuals, with the council providing transport to ensure prompt access to services.

This twice yearly screening is a proactive approach to manage and prevent clusters or outbreaks in the town. The initiative also improves access to health screenings for people who often find engaging in healthcare and treatment falls to a lower priority in their day to day lives.

To maximise the benefits of the TB screening and engagement with this vulnerable population, other services were offered including blood borne virus screening; fibroscans for evidence of liver fibrosis; sexual health screening, contraception support and seasonal winter vaccinations such as Flu. The screenings took place at NOAH Enterprise and ResoLUTiONs CGL where 88 people were screened and two individuals were referred for TB assessment.

TB is a curable bacterial infection which is usually spread when an infected individual has had close and prolonged contact with others. It can affect any part of the body but most often it affects the lungs.

Councillor Khtija Malik, Portfolio Holder with responsibility for public health, said: “It is important to remember that there are many complexities associated with day to day living for some people living in our town. Often, what constitutes a priority need, is unlikely to be healthcare or self- care treatment. By bringing health screening to vulnerable people we can improve access and help build and foster relationships of trust so they are more likely to seek healthcare and treatment should they need it.

"This is all part of our vision of being a Marmot town, where we are committed to implementing effective plans and policies to tackle health inequalities in Luton.”

Dr Sultan Salimee, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at UK HSA said: “TB is an infectious disease but it does not spread easily to others and requires close, prolonged contact with an infectious individual. TB develops slowly in the body, and it usually takes several months for symptoms to appear such as fever and night sweats and an unexplained prolonged cough for more than three weeks.

"As a proactive measure to tackle the high incidence in Luton, we are offering screening for TB to this group in the community, as they may be more vulnerable to the infection. If we were to find any other TB cases, people can be reassured that TB is treatable with a course of antibiotics.”

The number of Luton people diagnosed with active TB has decreased when compared with other parts of England with similar population demographics. However, Luton continues to have some of the highest rates of TB in the East of England and the numbers of cases three times higher than the England average. Tuberculosis is a particular risk that affects some groups of people more than others and by bringing TB services to those that wouldn’t normally have easy access to screening and treatment we will be able to detect and treat people earlier which is a key to stopping the spread of the infection.