title: Implementation of Department of Health guidelines for hepatitis B vaccination: a regional audit of NHS occupational health policies and procedures.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the implementation of the UK Health Departments' guidelines on protecting healthcare workers and patients from hepatitis B infection. The survey took place in February 1994 in the form of a postal questionnaire survey of occupational health departments. The study frame was the 18 district-based occupational health departments in the northern region of the NHS. The main outcome measures were compliance with the national guidelines on vaccination and the assessment of the hepatitis B status of employees performing exposure prone procedures. Compliance with the guidelines was variable. There were marked variations in the interpretation of serological data and there was a failure to establish the hepatitis B status of surgeons, in some cases. There is a need to provide training for occupational health practitioners about hepatitis B and to ensure that there is a uniform standard of practice within the NHS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Medical School, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D006282:Health Personnel; D006291:Health Policy; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines