Dentist Dr William Tam Strathfield Patients Told to Test for 3 Viruses
Thousands of former dentist dr william tam strathfield patients were urged on Wednesday to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV after New South Wales authorities found poor infection control practices at his clinic in western Sydney. Dr William Tam is retired and de-registered, and health officials said the warning covers former patients who may have been exposed at the Strathfield practice.
Dr Leena Gupta said the poor infection control practices at Dr Tam's practice means all former patients may be at low risk of a blood borne virus infection, which can have serious and long-lasting health impacts. She also said, “People with HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C may not have any symptoms for decades, so it is important that people at risk of these infections are tested, so that they can access treatment as appropriate.”
Strathfield audit findings
Dr Zeina Najjar said inspectors identified poor cleaning practices and inadequately sterilised equipment during an April audit of Tam's clinic. Tam retired two weeks after that audit. Authorities said they believed he had seen thousands of patients in the last 25 years.
The warning landed even though the New South Wales state health ministry said the risk was low. The practical problem for former patients is that there are no records that could be used to contact them directly, so the alert relies on people who attended the clinic coming forward for testing.
Previous Sydney clinic warnings
The Strathfield notice follows earlier Sydney warnings tied to infection control failures in dental settings. In 2018, around 10,000 patients were asked to get a blood test after potential HIV and hepatitis exposure at a dental clinic in Haberfield. Last October, patients at a dental clinic in Mortdale were urged to get tested after the dentist breached infection control standards.
For former Dr Tam patients, the next step is straightforward: arrange testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV if they attended the clinic. The warning is aimed at people who may have had low-risk exposure, but the viruses involved can remain without symptoms for years.
