Dentists given ten-year-old masks
AN URGENT investigation should be held into why dentists were issued protective masks that were almost a decade past their use-by date.
The Scottish Conservatives called for a probe after it emerged a mask had been sent for use by the NHS despite being removed from service in 2012.
Kevin Clark, who runs three dental practices in Lanarkshire, believes he received related masks which had been previously stockpiled.
He has raised concerns about the ‘ridiculously out-of-date’ supplies he had been given by the NHS. He told The Times: ‘Most of the masks I have been given have an original expiry date of 2014. You have got to question whether masks that are six years, or more, out of date will be effective. To me it’s unacceptable.’
The Scottish Dental Practice Owners Group has also raised concerns after members were given masks which should have been withdrawn ten years ago.
The organisation has claimed masks came in packing with labels stuck over the original expiry dates.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman, Donald Cameron said: ‘The use of PPE from 2012 that may be ineffective will be alarming for patients and dentists. It’s truly shocking there has been an attempt to cover up the original expiry date.
‘There are serious questions for the SNP Government to answer: is this PPE equipment fit for use, how did it come to be distributed, is this an isolated incident or a widespread problem, and was Jeane Freeman aware that it had been re-labelled?’
Speaking at her daily briefing on the pandemic yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that all PPE which is issued for use and past its expiry date would have been checked by officials.
She said: ‘If there is PPE being used that has gone past its expiry date it is only used when there is a process of revalidation that is undergone, which I think involves revalidation by the Health and Safety Executive.’