Tuberculosis (TB) has long been considered a communicable disease that is under control in the UK, yet recent years have seen a reversal of that trend in certain populations, exacerbated by the emergence of multidrug resistance.
While overall case numbers remain lower than in previous decades, recent data points to resurgence in specific populations, including individuals who have migrated from high-burden countries, those experiencing homelessness and people with certain comorbidities.
In 2024, TB notification rates in England increased by a record 13.5% compared to 2023, driven in part by a resurgence in urban areas – notably in London and the Midlands – and among groups with higher exposure risk, including those living in the most deprived areas of the country.
For hospital respiratory teams, this shift presents renewed clinical and operational challenges that require both up-to-date diagnostic knowledge and an awareness of the broader public health picture.
Epidemiological trends in TB and service adaptation
This will be examined during a session at Clinical Excellence in Respiratory Care – a free, one-day virtual event on 12 May 2026 brought to you by Hospital Healthcare Europe and open to all UK healthcare professionals. Register now to secure your place.
Dr Jessica Potter, consultant in respiratory and general medicine and TB lead at North Middlesex University Hospital, part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, will present the session entitled ‘The changing face of Tuberculosis: From reactivation to multidrug-resistant TB’.
She will explore current epidemiological trends and what they mean for how respiratory services identify and respond to new presentations of TB in secondary care, before moving on to look at diagnostic pathways.
TB diagnostic pathways, drug resistance and public health
The move from latent TB infection to active disease is not always straightforward to navigate in a busy clinical setting. Identifying which patients warrant investigation, interpreting diagnostic results and determining when to treat latent infection all require clinical judgement informed by current guidance.
Dr Potter’s session will therefore examine how diagnostic pathways are structured across NHS services, where the points of delay or uncertainty most commonly arise and how to overcome these.
Multidrug-resistant TB represents one of the most complex management challenges. Treatment regimens are prolonged, drug options are more limited, and the potential for onward transmission requires close coordination with public health services.
The session will also address how respiratory teams are managing drug-resistant cases, supporting adherence over extended treatment courses and working alongside infectious disease and public health colleagues to limit the wider spread of TB.
Clinical Excellence in Respiratory Care
The Clinical Excellence in Respiratory Care event will take place virtually on 12 May 2026 and is free to attend for UK respiratory clinicians and members of the multidisciplinary team.
The programme offers practical, evidence-informed insights for those working across hospital respiratory services and will explore advanced lung cancer and precision medicine, pulmonary hypertension referral models and sleep-disordered breathing beyond simple OSA, alongside this session on TB.
As a one-day virtual event, you can attend the full day or join the sessions most relevant to your role and schedule, with on-demand access available after the event.
Register now to secure your place and be part of the discussion shaping modern respiratory services, and revisit previous Clinical Excellence in Respiratory Care sessions in our Catch-up zone.