Monday, April 16, 2007

Warning over surgery kit cleaning.
Plans to centralise the sterilisation of surgery equipment into 50 new "super centres" have been labeled "a recipe for chaos" by the British Orthopedic Association (BOA). Ministers insist thew move is needed to meet new standards of cleanliness. But surgeon Andrew Thomas, spokesman for the BOA, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme said it could delay operations. He added that the BOA had contacted the National Audit Office to see if centralising the services represented value for money for the NHS. In January, figures emerged that showed a large increase in the number of operations canceled due to a lack of surgical instruments. A total of 1,765 operations were canceled in 2005/ 06 - up 40% from 1,252 in 2002/ 03.

http:/ / news.bbc.co.uk/ 1/ hi/ health/ 6531979.stm