Awareness of sharps injury has never been greater, and much is written about every aspect of sharps injury, its prevention and management. We at the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum make our contribution as best we are able, and within the HonCode rules framework that requires all of the information which we present to be authoritative:
- Authoritative
- Complementarity
- Privacy
- Attribution
- Justifiability
- Transparency
- Financial disclosure
- Advertising policy , clearly distinguishing advertising from editorial content
In this context, it was thus disappointing to see a new website, the Needlestick Campaign.
As far as I can tell, there is no company name provided; no address. There is a UK telephone number.
It’s another personal injury claims company. Nothing wrong with that, but in an attempt to get to the top of the search system listings they have chosen to present themselves as The Needlestick Campaign. That is their business.
Our own concerns focus in particular in their web page, linked boldly directly from the home page, to a Needlestick Injury Protocol. One would expect that a needlestick protocol would give details of cleansing a wound; some important first aid do’s and don’ts. An evaluation of the source patient, if known; the type of needle or blade; the location, was it likely to be a freshly used needle of something excavated from a mound of rubbish that had been there for months or longer. How deep was the wound. Blood for baseline serology. Counselling for HIV and other antibody testing, if indicated; administration of Hepatitis B immune globulin and possibly HIV prophylaxis using a combination of antiretroviral drugs in high dose.
It is with great regret that those who might find themselves directed to The Needlestick Campaign will find a Needlestick Injury Protocol that lists, in order, a brief but incomplete summary of [some of] those at risk and approaches to prevention, and an exhalation to make a claim for compensation. What to do, How to claim, and a little about Time limits follow, detracting and diverting from the purpose of any solid needlestick campaign.
Misrepresentation? Well, probably not, and as a claims company it is not unreasonable that they need to compete to be found by potential claimants. But thank goodness not everybody presents their sales pitch in quite this way. It’s misleading, possibly not sufficiently so to attract the attention of the ASA who require advertisements to be legal, decent, honest and truthful by applying the Advertising Codes.
But it’s sure as hell misleading for anyone wanting to join one of the various needlestick or sharps injury campaigns, in the UK or elsewhere, or seeking guidance concerning a needlestick injury protocol.