Cliff:
A friend has been having a difficult time making an appointment with his NHS dentist. His dentist demands that he makes his appointment at the end of the day, which usually conflicts with his work schedule. He said that he questioned this policy, but the dentist told him this was NHS regulation and was done to ensure necessary precautions (sterilisation) are taken and extra procedures were performed on him because of his compromised immune system.
I think that is a load of crap and he is really just being discriminated against. Does anyone know if in fact the NHS does have such a policy? And if not, where he could file a complaint against his dentist?
Pete_P:
As far as i am aware no such NHS policy exists. Appropriate sterilization and universal precautions should be applied to all patients regardless of HIV status... however saying this from what i have observed it is still common practice to treat HIV and MRSA patients at the end of the day especially at places such as day surgery and dentists... However back to your friend ......i feel that he should challenge his dentist on this issue and he should be able to make an appointment whenever in the day he wishes to!!!!!
regards Pete
Ann:
Cliff,
That is definitely a load of crap. Dentists are not allowed to do that, however many still get away with it. As Pete says, they must be sterilizing after each and every patient with the same level of care as so many people don't inform their dentist of their status and even more don't know they're positive in the first place. Hep C is also a concern in this regard, and even fewer people (%-wise) with hep C know their status.
And the "extra procedures because of his compromised immune system" is a load of crap too. Sounds like they want it to sound like their discrimination against him is in his own best interest. Again, every patient should be treated as though they may have hidden conditions. This kind of crap really makes my blood boil.
Ann
newt:
It's a load of crap (but all too common). It's not an NHS regulation. Report the fucking dentist to the primary care trust, National AIDS Trust and UKC.