Patients seen by two GPs in Brighton, confirmed to have coronavirus, are being urgently traced.
Management in Practice’s sister publication, Pulse, understands there are at least a dozen patients who were seen by the GPs, who contracted the virus whilst on a ski holiday in France.
The GPs returned to work last week and are thought to have seen patients at four health care locations throughout Brighton, including two GP surgeries, the A&E department at Worthing Hospital and a nursing home for the elderly. Patients who were treated by the GPs are particularly at risk of developing the illness.
Public Health England are racing to contact the patients. Officials temporarily shut down the two surgeries where the GPs worked for deep cleaning. The surgeries, which were both part of the County Oak Medical Group, have now re-opened after extensive and rigorous cleaning. The practice confirmed today that full services have resumed in both surgeries.
Patcham Nursing Home is shut to all but essential healthcare staff and workers. A spokesperson for the home confirmed to our sister publication that one of the infected GPs had visited the nursing home last week and saw one patient. She stated that no-one at the nursing home is currently exhibiting coronavirus symptoms.
Brighton PHE could not confirm the exact number of patients who were being traced by health officials due to patient confidentiality issues.
So far, eight people in the UK have been confirmed as having contracted coronavirus and 1,750 have tested negative.
