Patients of Dr. George Rice, dating back to 2019, may be at risk of possible exposure to blood-borne infections, the London, Ont.-area health unit warned Wednesday.
According to a Middlesex-London Health Unit Infection Prevention and Control Lapse disclosure report from Nov. 24, 2023, Rice is a neurologist who operated a home-based clinic.
The health unit says it was contacted by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario after someone reported that a clinic was failing to properly follow infection prevention and control (IPAC) procedures, prompting an investigation.
The complaints centred on the improper use of multi-dose vials and the improper reprocessing of multi-use instruments used in neurological examinations.
The investigation was completed Nov. 24, the health unit says, and “the practices that led to the IPAC lapse are being corrected.”
If you received a procedure from Rice between 2019 and last September, you are asked to contact a health-care provider for precautionary testing. Procedures include injections, lumbar punctures and bone marrow biopsies.
“Although the risk of such an infection is low, the Health Unit advises patients to consult their healthcare provider to discuss testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, and syphilis, as a precaution.”
So far, no cases of blood-borne infections have been “directly linked to Dr. Rice’s practices,” the health unit said.
Meanwhile, according to the College of Physicians of Ontario, Dr. Rice’s registration with the college was suspended in September 2023.
It lists concerns with Dr. Rice dating Jan. 20, 2023 over “two public complaints” that prompted investigations into allegations of misconduct or incompetencies in his practice. As a result, the CPSO said Dr. Rice was required to “engage in professional education in professionalism, documentation, Parkinson Disease, boundaries and the protection of personal health information, and medical record keeping.”
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