Are current guidelines on the cleaning and sterilisation of surgical instruments adequate?
These appear to be adequate in terms of their technical content although as more evidence becomes available on prions and vCJD transmission, they are likely to require amendment. However outside the engineering function and Central Decontamination Units, there was a widespread ignorance of guidance on decontamination. Often guidance was written in language which made it difficult for operators to understand its meaning and its relevance to their work. • How effectively is that guidance being implemented? Overall guidance is not being implemented effectively for two main reasons. The first is the lack of any organisation-wide, coherent management control of re-usable medical devices and their re-processing. The second is the lack of resource put into ensuring equipment met performance criteria as indicated in British, European and other technical standards. This was a particular issue with washer disinfectors. • What practical difficulties are there in ensuring good practice in this are
