Tuberculosis is a serious, contagious, bacterial infection. It commonly affects the lungs but can also spread to other parts of the body, including the brain, spine, lymph nodes, abdomen, bones and nervous system. The infection spreads from person to person through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes and droplets of their infected sputum are inhaled by someone else. Untreated TB can cause severe lung damage, affecting the infected person’s ability to breathe, and cause meningitis if it spreads to the brain. Untreated TB can be fatal. If detected early, before permanent damage has been done, TB can usually be cured by treatment with antibiotics. Early diagnosis and correct treatment is the key to preventing the harm caused by this dangerous but treatable condition and reducing the number of people infected. How common is TB infection? Tuberculosis or TB is often assumed to be a disease from the Victorian era. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB is still one of the most common causes of death worldwide and the leading cause from a single infectious agent. More than a million people die and an estimated 10 million people become ill with tuberculosis worldwide each year. In the decade from 2000 to 2019, it is estimated that TB diagnosis and treatment saved 60 million lives. Tuberculosis is a global health emergency affecting a quarter of the world’s population. England has one of the highest rates of TB in Western Europe. London has been called ‘the tuberculosis capital of Europe.’ All new diagnoses of TB infection are reported to the national surveillance system and then to WHO. This is known as TB notification. In 2025, 5,424 people were diagnosed and reported with TB in England, which has a TB notification rate of 9.25 per 100,000 population. TB more commonly, but not exclusively, affects people who were born outside the UK and who have non-white ethnicity, and is also associated with social deprivation. What are the symptoms of TB infection? The symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) depend on whether the affected person’s TB infection affects their lungs or another part of their body. Around half of all patients notified with TB infection have pulmonary TB (affecting their lungs). According to the NHS, symptoms of pulmonary TB include: a persistent cough (lasting more than 3 weeks) which brings up (sometimes blood-stained) phlegm; gradually worsening breathlessness; high temperature (fever); weight loss and lack of appetite; night sweats; extreme tiredness or fatigue. In cases of extrapulmonary TB, where the TB infection affects an area of the body outside of the lungs, the person suffering from extrapulmonary TB may experience symptoms which include: persistently swollen glands; abdominal pain; pain or loss of movement in a joint; confusion; persistent headache; seizures (fits or convulsions). How is tuberculosis (TB) diagnosed and treated? Diagnosis of pulmonary TB (affecting the lungs) is often made after a chest x-ray and a phlegm sample. If diagnosed early, pulmonary TB is straightforward to treat and can usually be cured with a long course of antibiotics. The infected person will usually be required to take antibiotic medication for six months. It is normally not necessary for the infected person to be isolated from their family during treatment, although they may need to take certain precautions to avoid spreading the infection. Diagnosis of extrapulmonary TB (affecting areas of the body outside the lungs) may require various tests and scans, including CT, MRI and ultrasounds scans, endoscopy, blood tests and a biopsy. A combination of antibiotics and corticosteroids are usually needed to treat extrapulmonary TB. What harm is caused by delayed diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB)? Delayed treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) can result in the infected person suffering permanent, irreparable damage to their lungs. This causes them to suffer a lifetime of coughing, breathlessness and chest infections, and reduces their lung capacity, restricting their ability to breathe. Delayed treatment of TB infection affecting the brain can result in confusion, loss of consciousness, coma or permanent injury and disability from TB meningitis. Ultimately, if left untreated, both pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB can be fatal. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Public Health England (PHE) have both emphasised that prompt diagnosis and treatment of TB can improve patient outcomes, reduce the time that the patient is infectious and reduce transmission of the disease. Despite this awareness, around a third of people with TB still experience delays of more than four months between the start of their symptoms and treatment. Symptoms of tuberculosis can be mild and may increase in severity in the many months that it often takes for a diagnosis to be made. Individual symptoms of tuberculosis can also be mistaken for other conditions, such as a chest infection or viral infection, leading to further delay. Awareness of the symptoms and swift action to treat both pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB are essential to avoid death or permanent disability from this treatable disease. Compensation for TB disability caused by treatment delays Boyes Turner’s medical negligence solicitors are experienced in recovering compensation for clients who have suffered serious injury and disability as a result of delayed diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Where the injured person’s permanent disability would have been avoided by timely diagnosis and correct treatment, we can obtain compensation to help with the increased costs arising from their disability. This typically includes necessary home adaptations, and paying for specialist equipment, care and household assistance to help restore independence, mobility and quality of life after the injury. Where the injured person is unable to return to work, compensation can be claimed to replace their loss of earnings, bringing peace of mind and financial security. Read more about successful claims arising from negligent medical treatment of TB: £2 million settlement for a woman who was left with significant respiratory disability by nearly a four-year delay in diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary TB; £125,000 settlement for the family of a nurse who suffered a fatal neurological injury from tuberculous (TB) meningitis as a result of delays in referral to hospital, diagnosis and treatment. If you or a family member have been severely injured as a result of medical negligence, or you have been contacted by HSSIB/MNSI or NHS Resolution, you can talk to a solicitor, free and confidentially, for advice about how to respond or make a claim by contacting us.
