ALL new NHS staff must test negative for HIV before starting a job where there is a risk of exposing patients to their blood.
Staff whose jobs involve Exposure Prone Procedures (EPPs) will also have to test negative for hepatitis B and C before taking up such a post, the Government said this week.
The jobs affected are mainly in surgery, gynaecology, dentistry and midwifery.
In the past 20 years, there have only been two cases worldwide of HIV transmission from health care workers to patients, neither of them in the United Kingdom.
"These measures, based on expert advice, are designed to improve protection for patients still further by extending health checks," said Pat Troop, deputy chief medical officer.
The draft guidance on implementing the new health checks was issued on Monday for consultation with the NHS, professional groups and patient groups.
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