Decontamination – Sterile Processing and Infection Control – 2026 – Study and
Practice Guide
What is the role of the Health Technical Memorandum? - correct answer ✔✔ It is intended to
progressively raise the quality of decontamination work in primary care dental services by
covering the decontamination of reusable instruments within dental facilities
Outline the purpose of the decontamination cycle - correct answer ✔✔ To prevent the potential
transmission of pathogenic microorganisms from one patient to another so, reusable dental
instruments must undergo a process which will render them safe to use on a patient and safe
for staff to handle
What is meant by the term 'acquire' in decontamination? - correct answer ✔✔ The acquisition
of instruments. Any new instruments must be fit for purpose, compatible with existing
equipment, easy to clean and have complete and clear instructions from decontamination from
the manufacturer
Define decontamination - correct answer ✔✔ Is the combination of processes, including
cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation, used to make reusable medical devices safe for further
use on patients and for handling by staff
Define sterilisation - correct answer ✔✔ The process by which all microorganisms are killed or
removed to render the object incapable of causing infection
Define traceability in decontamination - correct answer ✔✔ The system in place to allow sets of
surgical instruments to be tracked through decontamination process. The system should also
enable the identification of which instrument sets have been used on which patient
Explain what is meant by essential quality requirements - correct answer ✔✔ The minimum
standards that a practice must meet to demonstrate that they have effective, safe
decontamination processes in place
Practice Guide
What is the role of the Health Technical Memorandum? - correct answer ✔✔ It is intended to
progressively raise the quality of decontamination work in primary care dental services by
covering the decontamination of reusable instruments within dental facilities
Outline the purpose of the decontamination cycle - correct answer ✔✔ To prevent the potential
transmission of pathogenic microorganisms from one patient to another so, reusable dental
instruments must undergo a process which will render them safe to use on a patient and safe
for staff to handle
What is meant by the term 'acquire' in decontamination? - correct answer ✔✔ The acquisition
of instruments. Any new instruments must be fit for purpose, compatible with existing
equipment, easy to clean and have complete and clear instructions from decontamination from
the manufacturer
Define decontamination - correct answer ✔✔ Is the combination of processes, including
cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation, used to make reusable medical devices safe for further
use on patients and for handling by staff
Define sterilisation - correct answer ✔✔ The process by which all microorganisms are killed or
removed to render the object incapable of causing infection
Define traceability in decontamination - correct answer ✔✔ The system in place to allow sets of
surgical instruments to be tracked through decontamination process. The system should also
enable the identification of which instrument sets have been used on which patient
Explain what is meant by essential quality requirements - correct answer ✔✔ The minimum
standards that a practice must meet to demonstrate that they have effective, safe
decontamination processes in place
