NHS Grampian lab staff exposed to biological agent which can cause severe disease

NHS Grampian have been handed an improvement notice after staff were exposed to a biological agent which can cause severe disease.

Lab workers at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary were left vulnerable to a Hazard Group 3-classified agent due to insufficient information on a patient sample.

This meant employees were unable to take the “correct precautions for their own safety”.

Hazard Group 3 agents can pose a serious risk and result in severe human disease, such as HIV, Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus.

They may also pose a risk of community spread, but effective prophylaxis or treatment is generally available to manage infection risk.

Following the incident, the Health and Safety Executive issued an improvement notice stating that the Grampian Health Board failed “to have suitable arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of your preventive and protective measures for the provision of relevant clinical details for samples which may contain Hazard Group 3 biological agents.”

NHS Grampian’s chief officer for the acute sector, Geraldine Fraser, said that they take “safety of all staff at work seriously” and the hospital has apologised to all involved.

The health board chief confirmed that there was no risk to patients or the public.

She added: “Following further investigation and a visit by the HSE, their improvement notice is focused on ensuring clinical staff are appropriately trained and supported to provide enough information on all samples, allowing laboratory staff to process and test them safely, with monitoring carried out to ensure this is being done.

“We have accepted the notice and are working on an action plan to ensure it is complied with.”

A compliance date of January 28, 2027, has been set.