Costs of a limited patient notification exercise following infection control failures in a dental surgery

In February 2008, a primary care trust in Cheshire Merseyside was notified of failures in the infection control practises of a dentist working in a large group practice. On advice from national experts, a look-back was undertaken to identify any patients infected with hepatitis followed by a notification exercise of patients who had received invasive treatment immediately afterwards. One patient with hepatitis C (HCV) was identified. Sixty patients were notified by letter and offered advice and HCV screening. The total cost of the patient notification exercise (PNE) was estimated at £85,936, equating to £1,562.47 per patient who responded to the notification (55), or £2,455.31 per patient screened (35). All results were negative. While this adds to evidence that the risk to patients in such incidents is small, failing to investigate the possibility that BBV transmission has occurred would carry public health, reputational and legal risks. Conducting a PNE in the first instance for those patients at highest risk, with the option of extending it if evidence of patient-to-patient transmission is found, ensures that the total costs of dealing appropriately with such incidents - while still substantial - are at least kept to a minimum.