Dentist told to remove old magazines
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- Published: Wednesday, 24 October 2012 12:19
- Written by News Editor
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The dentist, 65, who has practised for more than 30 years, said: "I was told that I ought not to have any magazines out that are more than a week old, because the Care Quality Commission wouldn't like it. Mostly the magazines aren't very old, I subscribe to Country Life and Private Eye and bring them in when I've finished them, and then there are other ones like Gardeners' World and Heat, which staff and patients bring in. I can't believe they would pose any risk to patients."
Miss Symes said the "infection control facilitator", employed by Dorset Primary Care Trust, also said that to meet the requirements of CQC, the dentist must stop using Blu-Tack, because it created a "cross infection" risk, if reused, and should have all the cushions in the waiting room reupholstered.
Dr John Milne, Chairman of the British Dental Association's general dental practice committee, said dentists took cleanliness and hygiene very seriously, but suggested it was heavy-handed to wage war on magazines.
He said: "Providing magazines in waiting rooms for patients to read is a good way of helping them to relax and can ease the concerns of anxious individuals. Blu-Tack is often used to display posters that reinforce positive oral health messages or advise patients about the care that the practice provides."
"Too often, in recent years, it has felt like regulation has been designed to hinder, rather than support, dentists' efforts to care for their patients."
A spokesman for CQC said the regulator had never ordered dentists surgeries to remove any magazines, nor set any rules about using Blu Tack.
He added: "The only time these things would be an issue would be if we found they were being used in such a way as to compromise the safety of someone using the service – and it's pretty hard to see what those circumstances might be."
Other dentists are reminded this is not a regulation, they should think about library books and banknotes in circulation before taking any action.
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