This isn’t the first time that dentists have come under fire for failing to follow NHS infection control procedures. In the case of Desmond D’Mello we’re facing a significant failure to adhere to even the most basic of things – but in the last few years there have been failures identified across the country when it comes to hygiene at dental surgeries.
So we want to know whether this is a problem far wider than the 22,000 former patients of D’Mello who are being recalled for testing.
Don’t get me wrong here, I am in no way having a dig at dentists in general. This blog comes from sources from The Telegraph who published an article a couple of years ago following information revealed through the use of Freedom of Information laws.
According to The Telegraph, figures from a Care Quality Commission report revealed that one in nine dentists inspected by watchdogs were found to be in breach of cleanliness and infection control guidelines. Some 189 out of 1,667 practices inspected were found to have not been following Department of Health guidelines for clean surgeries and dental equipment.
The reported findings included evidence of:
- Cluttered and ‘dirty’ practices
- Staff unsure between what is reusable and disposable equipment
- Open intravenous needle kits
- Out of date medicines stored in fridges with staff lunches
- Used gloves, tissues, and food stored with sterilised equipment
- Unclean autoclaves (equipment used to sterilise instruments)
- Dust, dirt, cobwebs, and overflowing bins
- Failing to use magnifying lights to check sterilised equipment was clean
- Staff failing to wash hands
As we have all seen from the Daybrook Dental Practice scandal, the risk of blood-borne infections being transferred between patients when infection control procedures are not followed is a serious matter. Whilst the figures and information above is taken from an article published two years ago, it highlights that this isn’t the first time hygiene standards have been called in to question in the dental industry.
The article also goes on to say that staff at one practice informed inspectors that they couldn’t clean equipment quickly enough. High patient turnarounds with Mr Desmond D’Mello have so far been linked as a reason behind why he chose to ignore such basic infection control protocols.
There is, of course, never an excuse though.
In addition, the article also goes on to report that 5,000 patients in the Bristol and Bournemouth area were offered tests for HIV and Hepatitis in 2009 after a dentist was found to have not been sterilising equipment properly.
So this isn’t the first time this has happened – although the scale of the scandal at Daybrook is said to be the largest.