Management of HIV infected health care workers: lessons from three cases

Three cases in which doctors in Glasgow were diagnosed as having HIV infection were all handled differently in relation to telling patients and the media. In the first patients were not told because the doctor had been doing administrative work and there was thought to be no risk to patients; although the media did report the case, it accepted the assurances given. In the second case, where a doctor had done many jobs in different specialities and places, the media identified the doctor before most patients had been informed: most calls to the helpline subsequently set up by the health authority were from patients who had not been treated by this doctor. This episode, however, allowed the incident team to be prepared for the next case, enabling the helpline to be established swiftly. In this case the doctor voluntarily identified himself, and this served to allay public fears and reduce the number of inappropriate calls to the helpline.