Decontamination of medical devices: legislation and compliance to practice.

The amount of legislation and guidelines published on decontamination reflects the current attitude of politicians and the general public to the desire to reduce the risk of infection. Incidents, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle with the subsequent risk of transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (VCJD), require greater compliance by healthcare workers to the guidance both in the hospital and the wider community. The change in care provision and the demands of government in training and education.