NHS equipment

Concerns have been raised about private sector cleaning centres being used to decontaminate hospital equipment.

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) says these centres largely succeed in sterilising equipment but warns that too much is coming back late or going missing and expensive tools are being broken.

This, the college claims, is causing surgeons to cancel or abandon operations.

This is said to have happened when patients are already anaesthetised and prepared.

Equipment used to be sterilised and cared for on-site but NHS trusts are now being encouraged by the government to use private sector companies.

A survey by the RCS of over 250 surgeons found that two-thirds were unhappy about the availability and condition of instruments sent for sterilisation away from the hospital.

"Patients should be concerned to learn that operations they need are being delayed because vital tools are not available," said Professor Richard Ramsden, who collected the evidence and is an ears, nose and throat surgeon.

"This preliminary study indicates that surgeons working with on-site instrument cleaning facilities are getting a better service, enough to warrant an urgent reassessment of what's best for the NHS."

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