New South Wales Health have issued a extraordinary public health alert urging thousands of patients of a retired Sydney dentist to get tested for blood-borne viruses including HIV and Hepatitis B and C.
NSW Health advised all patients who were seen by Dr William Tam, who practised at Suite B, 2 Albert Road, Strathfield, should see their GP or healthcare provider to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Authorities say while the risk is low, they may have potentially been exposed.
A recent audit of Dr Tam’s premises by the Dental Council of NSW identified concerns about the infection control practices at the premises, as well as patient record keeping. Dr Tam has since retired and is no longer a registered dentist.
Clinical Director, Public Health, Sydney Local Health District, Dr Leena Gupta, said it is believed thousands of people may have been seen by Dr Tam in the last 25 years, but there are no records that can be used to contact them.
“As a precaution, we are asking all of Dr Tam’s previous patients to seek testing for blood-borne viruses,” Dr Gupta said.
“The poor infection control practices at Dr Tam’s practice means all former patients may be at low risk of a blood-borne virus infection, which can have serious and long-lasting health impacts.
“People with HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C may not have any symptoms for decades, so it is important that people at risk of these infections are tested, so that they can access treatment as appropriate. There are effective treatments available for all three conditions.”
At a media conference on Wednesday, Dr Zeina Najjar, a staff specialist in public health for the Sydney Local Health District said the review had discovered there was inadequate sterilisation of equipment at the practice and poor cleaning.
She said that there had been no reported cases of blood-borne virus being transmitted at the practice, but the lack of proper sterilisation processes had raised alarms.
“Patients who underwent invasive dental procedures – so those where instruments may have pierced the skin or the root of the tooth or the gum, or drawn blood – would be at a slightly higher risk,” she said. “But overall the risk, including to those patients, is considered to be low.” she said.
Support offered for affect patients
Former patients of Dr Tam who want more information should review the NSW Health FAQs and fact sheets on hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. If they have further questions, they can speak to their GP or contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
Anyone distressed by this news and needing mental health support can call the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511. It is a free service operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is staffed by trained mental health professionals who offer mental health advice and referrals to local mental health services.
Support for people who live in NSW and who are from culturally and linguistically diverse communities is also available via the Transcultural Mental Health Line on 1800 648 911.
