MBChB degree programme
Admissions
Fitness to practise
Policy on Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a serious blood-borne virus. This can be passed between a doctor, dentist, nurse and patient. Health care workers must ensure that they do everything possible to protect themselves and their patients from this infection.
Students must complete a full course of immunisation against the Hepatitis B virus. The immunisation process can take up to nine months and applicants are therefore advised to commence this process at the earliest possible opportunity. However it is not a requirement for students to have completed the immunisation process prior to registration. Please also note that your GP is NOT under obligation to immunise you.
Medical and Nursing students can complete the full course of Hepatitis B immunisation by attending the University’s Occupational Health Unit. This can only be done once they are registered as a student. The immunisation process must be completed by 30 June of the first year of the course. A candidate who has not satisfactorily completed their Hepatitis B immunisation will not be permitted to register and attend classes in the following session until such time as this has been satisfactorily completed.
Confirmation of a student's Hepatitis B Surface Antigen status is identified by the University Health Service’s screening programme, prior to registration in September. No student will be admitted without having this blood test. Identification of Hepatitis B in a potential student will not preclude registration to undergraduate Medicine or Nursing. However, carriers of Hepatitis B may be precluded from registration to Dentistry because of the nature of the clinical procedures undertaken during training.
If you are concerned you may be at risk of being a carrier of Hepatitis B virus you should have this checked immediately, and if positive, you must contact the Medical School/Nursing & Midwifery School/Dental School as soon as possible. Should identification of Hepatitis B occur in applicants wishing to embark on undergraduate courses in Medicine and Nursing, a meeting may take place with the student and a member of the Faculty to discuss whether modifications would be required to be made within the undergraduate course.
Download this page: Policy on Hepatitis B [pdf]