Tuberculosis (TB) Nursing Service

Contact us

Contact your GP for advice or contact our service on:

Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm

BCG referrals and the UK BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) vaccination programme

This is a risk-based programme, targeting babies and children who are more likely to have had exposure to TB. The programme is delivered by the TB nursing Service. For further information on this, please visit Public Health England website.

If you think your child is eligible for a BCG vaccination, please contact your health practitioner/GP who will complete the relevant referral form.

Information for healthcare professionals

How to refer a child requiring a BCG from a country with a prevalence of TB ≥ 40/100, 000.

BCG vaccination programme

The aim of the UK BCG (which stands for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) vaccination programme is to immunise those babies and children at increased risk of developing severe disease and to protect those who may have been exposed to Tuberculosis (TB) infection.

Who should have the BCG vaccine and when?

The BCG vaccine is only recommended for those babies and children at an increased risk of coming into contact with TB. It is only given once in a lifetime and rarely given to adults. We do not offer the BCG vaccination for occupational health or travel reasons.

1. BCG for babies

BCG vaccination is recommended for babies up to one who:

have parents or grandparents that were born in a country where there's a high rate of TB

Your midwife will send a referral to us if your baby is eligible for the BCG vaccination. An appointment will usually be offered before 28 days of age at a hospital or a local healthcare centre.

2. BCG for children aged 16 and under

Older children may be eligible for the BCG vaccination if they have an increased risk of developing TB, If:

their parents or grandparents were born in a country where there's a high rate of TB
the child was born in a country where there’s a high rate of TB
The child has lived for a prolonged period (at least three months) in a country where there’s a high rate of TB

Gov.uk has a list of estimated rates of high incidence countries with over 40 cases of tuberculosis (TB) per 100,000 people to help health professionals decide if a BCG vaccination is needed.

Contact your health visitor or GP if you think your child is eligible for a BCG vaccination. They will decide if a vaccination is needed and complete the BCG referral form.

Tuberculosis TB diagnosis and treatment

TB is a serious infection that affects the lungs and sometimes other parts of the body, such as our lymph nodes, spine and intestines.

We undertake TB screening and support the diagnosis and treatment of people with active TB disease to help them recover and stop being infectious to others by;

supporting adults and children to manage their diagnosis
screening people who have been in contact with an active case of the disease
offer assessments and support via telephone, online or face-to-face appointments.

Who we are

The Tuberculosis Nursing Service (TB) is a community-based specialist team that works to prevent and treat TB.

X-ray of lungs

TB is an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs but can affect any part of the body. It is caused by a type of bacteria and spreads through the air when infected people cough or sneeze. Tuberculosis is preventable and curable.

What we do

We deliver the national BCG vaccination programme, undertake TB screening and support the diagnosis and treatment of people with active TB disease. Our service provides care for adults and children in east and north Kent. Visit Medway Foundation Trust and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust websites for details of services in Medway and West Kent.

TB Nursing 2 We support patients in clinics, outreach settings and their own homes, and provide education and training for other healthcare professionals and the public. We work closely with social services and voluntary organisations to support patients with issues including homelessness that might prevent them completing their treatment.

Find out more about the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) from NHS.uk.

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March 2024
Dartford

The specialist nurse was very professional, very knowledgeable and explained the treatment procedures and side effects efficiently. She was also very empathetic.

February 2024
Ashford

Very prompt, friendly nurse who delivered the vaccination, explained everything I needed to know. Very positive.

May 2023
Dartford

Very attentive and informative nurse, felt genuine care from her and very comfortable with her.

May 2023
Ashford

My experience was the best.

May 2023
Thanet

Marianne was very calming and gave us all the information we needed and answered our questions thoroughly.

May 2023
Folkestone

Helpful staff. Very professional. Hospital was clean and well kept. Directions were easy to follow. Time keeping was great.

April 2023
Dartford

Very attentive nurse and very caring and understanding of my circumstances.

April 2023
Gravesham

Very informative and reassuring, warm personality from all staff members we encountered.

April 2023
Thanet

Nurse very helpful and friendly. Everything explained well and no problems with jab given.

March 2023
Gravesham

Very quick and efficient and son felt no pain at all. Alison was lovely and had the stickers ready at hand for my son which kept him happy.

March 2023
Thanet

Good care and communication. Went in to appointment at correct time and received appropriate text message confirmation prior to it.

March 2023
Folkestone

Lovely, friendly nurse, very informative.

March 2023
Ashford

Automatically setup to receive vaccine, good location, quick and informative.

March 2023
Gravesham

Easy to contact. Always available. Designated TB nurse, Kate, kept calling via phone and in person to check that all was going according to six month course of action. She did her job thoroughly with care and respect. I didn’t feel alone on this journey.

January 2023
Dartford

Victoria explains all the steps of the process and the necessary steps to take to prevent contracting the illness. She was quite thorough and the team was quite good with my 10 year old too.

December 2022
Gravesham

Was very polite gave me all the information I needed.

December 2022
Dartford

Kind, caring, and pleasant service from everyone especially the TB nurse.

December 2022
Gravesham

Kate is very helpful, her nature is very good, caring, loving, she has helped me get better. She has visited me at home a lot.

June 2022
Ashford

Very welcoming staff, explained all the procedures, after care.

June 2022
Folkestone

She was very informative and very caring.

June 2022
Thanet

I was made comfortable and less anxious with my baby receiving the BCG vaccine.

April 2022
Gravesham

Everything was explained concisely and our questions answered.

May 2022
Gravesham

Allison was absolutely brilliant , very caring and great service. Prompt with time. Thank you.

March 2022
Dover

The staff were so nice and really informative.

March 2022
Dover

The service was excellent, I felt very comfortable and there were no issues with anything.

March 2022
Dover

The staff were really nice and they explained everything quite clearly.

January 2022
Gravesham

Found this service excellent.

November 2021
Gravesham

I was attended to as soon as I came, the staff were very polite and receptive.

January 2022
Gravesham

The nurse was amazing, baby didn’t cry at all, I was so happy! Thank you!

November 2021
Ashford

The nurse who looked after my son was really kind.

November 2022
Thanet

Careful follow-through, highly competent staff, very caring and thorough. Wonderful.

September 2022
Folkestone

Always there when needed, always explained things well so I could understand and compassionate about the job.

October 2022
Gravesham

On time, nurse was very good.

September 2022
Gravesham

Brilliant to have my date brought forward due to a cancellation. Seen early as well. Consultation was very professional and overall an excellent experience.

August 2022
Dover

The lady that received us was lovely and helpful.

August 2022
Gravesham

The nurse, Alison, was very professional, friendly and the service was quick.

July 2022
Ashford

Booking process was easy and clinic ran on time. Everything well explained by clinician.

July 2022
Gravesham

Very gentle nurse, super careful with the baby.

Tuberculosis (TB) Nursing Service

Contact us

Who we are

What we do

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