Sterilisation of metal speculae should be routine

Letters were being hand delivered on Monday afternoon to almost 100 women treated at the Newland Medical Practice in Bathgate over an 18-month period.

An investigation is under way after a GP realised she had been mixing sterilised and unsterilised stainless steel instruments.

Lothian NHS Board has issued an apology and stressed that the risk of infection was "low".

We would like to give everyone the opportunity to discuss it with a healthcare professional and we are very happy to arrange appropriate testing Dr Brian Montgomery West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust

Unsterilised equipment could expose women to HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases.

The instruments, called speculae, were used by Dr Carol Stewart and her colleagues to carry out gynaecological examinations between 25 March, 2002, and 3 November this year.

Dr Brian Montgomery, medical director at West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust, said he deeply regretted the alarm the mix-up had caused.

"I think we can afford to be very reassuring that no-one has suffered any permanent harm or contracted an infection," he said.

"But we would like to give everyone the opportunity to discuss it with a healthcare professional and we are very happy to arrange appropriate testing."

The Newland practice has now introduced single-use disposable speculae and a special helpline has been set up on 01506 422 816.