Twenty-one patients at a Welsh hospital are undergoing testing for HIV and hepatitis following the use of unsterilised surgical instruments during fitting of dental braces.
Among those affected is Ieuan Williams, a 15-year-old pupil at Cwmbran High School, who had braces fitted in the hospital’s orthodontic department on February 25.
The error occurred across two days at Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, with procedures carried out on February 25-26 using equipment that had been disinfected, but not placed in an autoclave – the machine that uses heat and steam to fully sterilise medical tools.
Hospital officials attributed the failure to human error, which was discovered during routine checks on February 27.
Despite discovering the mistake nearly a month ago, the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board did not contact affected families until March 16, with the Williams family only receiving notification on March 19 when an official in scrubs and a surgical mask hand-delivered an urgent letter.
Parents Karen and Lee Williams have accused the health board of attempting to conceal the incident, claiming patients were only informed after a whistleblower contacted local media.
“They knew about this weeks ago and they tried to cover it up,” Mr Williams, 47, who operates a double-glazing business, told Wales Online.
Teen among patients at risk of HIV and Hepatitis after NHS hospital fitted braces with unsterilised equipment |
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His 46-year-old wife described the three-week delay as “disgusting,” highlighting that patients could have unknowingly transmitted potential infections to family members and friends during that period.
“If it wasn’t for the whistleblower, would we have ever known?” Mrs Williams asked.
She demanded greater transparency from the health board, stating: “We need to know exactly how these errors happened”.
During the 20-minute procedure to fit his braces, unsterilised pliers and a mirror were placed in Ieuan’s mouth.
Although medical staff have assured the teenager that the likelihood of contracting a blood-borne virus such as HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C remains very low, he now faces half a year of hospital visits before receiving confirmation that he is clear of infection.
“I was quite scared at first,” the schoolboy said.
“I’m going to have to go back and forth to the hospital for six months. They keep saying how low the risk is but I want to know for sure”.
Politicians across the political spectrum have condemned the health board’s handling of the situation.
Laura Anne Jones, Reform MS for South Wales East, declared: “It’s scandalous that it’s taken three weeks for my constituents to be informed”.
A Plaid Cymru spokesman described the clinical safety failures as “terrifying,” demanding that those responsible be held accountable and calling for complete transparency from the health board.
Peter Fox, health spokesman for the Welsh Conservatives, characterised the incident as “a serious breach of care,” adding: “An apology alone is not good enough. We need a full investigation into why this appalling incident occurred”.
The health board explained the delay was necessary to compile an accurate patient list and determine appropriate health responses, expressing sincere apologies for the distress caused and pledging to prevent future occurrences.