New TB nursing services launches in Somerset

A new specialist tuberculosis (TB) nursing service has launched in Somerset to support people through diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

The team includes TB nurse specialists Jemma Evans and Kim Aspinall, administrator Kate East, and consultants Dr James Davidson and Dr Muhammad Hassaan.

Their focus is on high‑risk groups, including people experiencing homelessness, substance dependence, recent imprisonment, or those who have migrated from countries where TB is more common.

The service supports patients with both active and latent (dormant) TB. Active TB treatment involves six months of strong antibiotics with challenging side effects, so the nurses provide intensive wrap‑around care – blood tests, eye checks, home visits, and regular phone contact.

They also work to reduce stigma, improve access to care, prevent delayed diagnosis, and limit transmission by reporting cases to the UK Health Security Agency, and offering latent TB testing to at‑risk groups.

The team aims to reach patients earlier, reduce barriers such as travel costs, and provide care closer to home through community clinics and GP partnerships.

TB treatment is free on the NHS, and the service helps ensure patients can complete their course safely and comfortably.

With a 26% rise in TB notifications in England since 2022, the team is keen to provide education across primary and secondary care and welcomes enquiries. TB isn’t always the first diagnosis clinicians consider, but it should remain on the radar.

“It’s also about prevention,” Jemma explains. “We work hard to reach groups that are traditionally harder to engage, and we offer testing for latent TB – where the infection is present in the body but currently inactive – as this is another important way of stopping the disease in its tracks.”

Consultants Dr James Davidson and Dr Muhammad Hassaan oversee the service, and the team has established weekly multidisciplinary meetings, supported by microbiology, to review and discuss patients together.

“During our in‑person appointments, we check bloods, carry out eye checks, and provide regular support over the phone or via text message,” Kim says.

“We often run clinics at our community hospitals, where we may only see one patient, but it works much better for them when care is closer to home.

“We’re also grateful for the support we’re receiving from GP practices, all of which helps ensure these services are as accessible as possible.

“The actual treatment for TB is free on the NHS, but the medication has to be dispensed from either Musgrove Park or Yeovil hospitals. We can take the tablets to people, either to their home or their nearest community hospital.”

Many patients with TB choose not to tell their friends or family, which often means they go through treatment alone or rely solely on support from our TB team.

“There’s sadly still a lot of stigma surrounding TB, so we try to meet patients at their level and support them as much as we can,” Jemma adds.