Dental patients ‘at risk’ newspaper claims
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- Published: Monday, 08 October 2012 08:21
- Written by News Editor
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The Daily Telegraph has claimed that dental patients are being put at risk of infection by dentists ‘who fail to clean surgical equipment properly.’ Using freedom of information requests the paper reports that one in nine practices inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) was found to be in breach of Department of Health guidelines on cross infection control. |
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Of the 1,667 dental practices inspected by the CQC last year, 189 were found not to be following Department of Health instructions on how to clean instruments and surgeries. Two examples were given in the report.
At one ‘cluttered and dirty’ practice in Haringey, north London, inspectors in February found staff could not tell the difference between single-use and reusable equipment and they ‘could not be sure’ that equipment in drawers ready for use in surgeries had been cleaned. Inspectors found an opened intravenous needle kit and out of date medicine stored in a fridge alongside the staff [packed lunches. Used gloves and a packet of porridge oats were stored on top of the disinfection machine. The practice has since received a clean bill of health.
At Lydiate Dental Surgery Merseyside the autoclave used for sterilising equipment was found to be ‘unclean, felt ‘oily’ and had debris on it’, inspectors wrote. They found dust, dirt and cobwebs and overflowing bins at the surgery. A spokesman said the surgery was ‘very concerned’ by the report and had ‘reviewed arrangements’ as a result.
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