Violence Bill to cover Welsh NHS staff

Apr 25 2008 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

NHS operations are being cancelled – sometimes when patients are already anaesthetised – due to private decontamination firms damaging equipment or causing delays, the Royal College of Surgeons warned yesterday.

The Government has encouraged NHS trusts to use private companies for sterilising operating theatre tools but surgeons are finding an array of problems, it said.

A survey of more than 250 surgeons found two-thirds were unhappy with the availability and condition of instruments sent for sterilisation away from hospital.

When it came to equipment being maintained in good condition and not being broken, 70% of paediatric surgeons were unhappy with the service.

The College warned that although private firms were largely succeeding in their main aim of sterilising kit, too much was coming back late or going missing.

Sensitive, expensive tools are also being broken, it said.

“Without the equipment to do the job, surgeons are forced to cancel or abandon operations – sometimes when patients are already anaesthetised and prepared,” it said.