Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Should HIV positive doctors be able to practice?
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Should HIV positive doctors be able to practice?
posted at 24/11/2011 12:15 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 84
First: 18/3/2011 Last: 21/5/2012 |
Britain has a tough stance- harder than many other countries and does not allow HIV positive doctors and dentists to practice- it has had a ban in place for 20 years. The Department of Health, however, is now going to open a consultation with a view to lifting the ban. An article in the Telegraph says that 10 health care professionals are diagnosed with HIV each year. Ministers will say there have been no reported transmissions in Britain, despite more than 25 cases in the past 12 years in which patients have been exposed to an HIV-infected doctor, dentist or other health worker. More than 10,000 patients have been tested. A working group has recommended that health workers with HIV should be allowed to undertake “exposure prone procedures” provided they are taking antiretroviral drugs and are being monitored. Evidence built up over a number of years shows that the risk of transmission from an infected doctor or dentist to a patient is “extremely low for the most invasive clinical procedures such as major surgical operations”. For less invasive procedures, such as normal dentistry, the risk is described as “negligible”. |
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Re: Should HIV positive doctors be able to practice?
posted at 24/11/2011 1:16 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1177
First: 25/1/2009 Last: 18/5/2012 |
perhaps they should be allowed to practice with restrictions - for example - GPs and psychichiatrists are unlikely to end up in situations where they may transmit, whereas those handling surgical instruments are at higher risk |
Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Should HIV positive doctors be able to practice?
