As the recent NSW Health warning regarding a former dentist has shown, infection prevention and control is not just a regulatory requirement — it is fundamental to patient safety, trust, and clinical governance. Concerns identified around inadequate sterilisation, poor cleaning practices, and substandard record keeping have resulted in thousands of former patients being urged to undergo testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
For healthcare facilities, particularly dental practices, day surgeries, and procedural clinics, this is a stark reminder that failures in infection prevention can have consequences extending decades beyond a patient encounter.
The Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) plays a critical role in breaking the chain of infection. Proper reprocessing of reusable medical devices — including cleaning, sterilization, packaging, transport, storage, and traceability — is essential to ensuring instruments are safe for patient use. Even a minor lapse in reprocessing standards can create the potential for cross-contamination and bloodborne virus transmission.
Equally important is the correct management of single-use items. Single-use devices are designed, validated, and intended for one patient episode only. Reusing these items outside manufacturer instructions compromises both infection prevention and device integrity. In many cases, materials degrade, sterility cannot be guaranteed, and patient risk significantly increases. Facilities must ensure staff understand the distinction between reusable and single-use equipment, and that procurement pressures never override patient safety obligations.
What this case also highlights is the importance of governance, auditing, education, and documentation. Traceability systems, sterilisation records, staff competency assessments, and compliance with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards — particularly Standard 3: Preventing and Controlling Infections — are not “paperwork exercises”. They are safeguards that protect patients, staff, and organisations.
At Infection Prevention Australia, Michelle Bibby specialises in supporting healthcare facilities to achieve and maintain compliance with Standard 3 of the NSQHS Standards. This includes assessments of CSSD processes, infection prevention systems, single-use device management, sterilisation workflows, documentation practices, staff education, and accreditation preparedness.
Healthcare facilities should not wait for a complaint, audit finding, or public health alert before reviewing their infection prevention systems. Proactive assessment and education are essential in maintaining safe, compliant, and patient-centred care.
If your facility would benefit from an independent infection prevention assessment, CSSD review, or guidance regarding compliance with Standard 3, now is the time to act.