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Llwynhendy TB outbreak: Review after woman killed

PA Health professionalsPA
In Wales, there are about 100 cases a year of tuberculosis

An external review into the response to the Tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in Carmarthenshire has been commissioned.

It comes because of how long the outbreak lasted, and how many people were affected in Llwynhendy.

One woman died in 2018 and 31 cases were linked to the outbreak in 2019.

Public Health Wales (PHW) and Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) said the independent review will "ensure lessons are learned".

The review, chaired by Professor Mike Morgan, NHS England's former National Clinical Director for Respiratory Disease, will examine whether the response to the outbreak since 2010 was conducted in line with best practice guidance in place at the time of each phase of the outbreak.

It will also review any reported cases where a death certificate identified that TB contributed to or caused death.

"We thought it is best to get tested to avoid any further concern"

Dr Fu-Meng Khaw, Health Protection and Screening Services national director and Executive Medical Director at PHW, said the jointly-commissioned review will "ensure the response to the outbreak was as robust as possible, and that lessons are learned for any future outbreak of TB".

"We understand that the TB outbreak has been very concerning for the Llwynhendy community and for everyone involved, in particular for the family of the patient who very sadly died," he added.

As part a screening exercise, more than 2,000 people were tested with 31 active cases identified and more than 250 cases of latent TB.

The outbreak killed 64-year-old Margaret Pegler who died just five days after being told she had the disease in September 2018.

"I knew in my heart that she'd gone"

Dr Phil Kloer, Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Medical Director of Hywel Dda UHB, said: "This review will take an independent view on the management of the response.

"It is important to both organisation that key learnings are identified."

People directly involved with the outbreak will be contacted in the next few weeks in relation to the review, Public Health Wales and the health board said.

A report on the findings of the review is expected around May 2022, with an interim report being made available in February 2022.