Patients of 2nd P.E.I. podiatry clinic told to get blood tests after 'infection control breaches'

P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Office has confirmed it told patients of a second podiatry clinic, Bettles Podiatry, to get blood testing after flagging "infection control breaches" this summer. 

Back in June, the office issued a public advisory telling patients of Johnson Podiatry who'd had certain procedures to get tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, just as a precaution. 

Health officials inspected the clinic after receiving a complaint, and said they had identified problems with how equipment was being sterilized and disinfected. 

That inspection prompted the CPHO to look into other podiatry clinics on the Island. 

Officials then flagged similar sterilization concerns at Bettles Podiatry in Charlottetown in late July, and sent letters to its patients, advising them to undergo the same tests. 

However, no public advisory was issued in that case. 

520 patients tested, no positives

"The CPHO was able to receive a complete client contact list from Bettles Podiatry," a CPHO spokesperson said in an email Tuesday. "Due to the completeness of the contact information, it was determined that a public notification would not be required to contact clients."

The office also gave an update on those who have been tested so far.

"Between the infection control [breaches] at Johnson Podiatry and Bettles Podiatry, a total of 520 people have been tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV," the email said. 

"There were no new positives or virus transmissions as a result of the testing."

Podiatrist Keith Bettles said the CPHO's actions have caused him undue stress and hurt his reputation — so much so that he's retiring this week, earlier than anticipated, after more than four decades providing foot care on the Island. 

"It's just been stressful all the way through," Bettles said. "Why should I be targeted when I've never had a complaint? I'm confident in my sterilization system. And we've never had any issues with it." 

He explained that he uses a dry heat system to sterilize his tools, following up with a sterile wipe just before he uses those tools on a new patient, whereas the province says he should be using a steam-based sterilization system.

"I've never had any problems in 43 years. And all of a sudden they tell patients they've got to get tested... It has [hurt my reputation]. We've had a lot of people cancel, and a lot of people not turn up."

'Where do I go now?' 

Garth Jay, a longtime patient of Bettles, said he threw out the CPHO letter when he received it, and didn't get tested. 

"You got someone that's as skilled as Dr. Bettles is, leave him be," Jay said. "With all his credentials and everything, there are no issues."

Jay said Bettles has treated his in-grown toenails for the past 10 years. 

Before his retirement this week, Bettles was the only full-time podiatrist working on P.E.I. 

"So where do I go now? I've got to try to find someone as good or as qualified as Dr. Bettles was," Jay said. "And apparently, that's not going to be easy."

P.E.I. now has regulations

A CBC News investigation this summer could find no evidence that John Johnson — who ran Johnson Podiatry and called himself both "Dr." and a podiatrist — had the formal credentials he claimed to have. 

Johnson has never responded to those allegations. 

His clinic has since been renamed Johnson Footcare. 

On Oct. 1, P.E.I. became one of the last provinces to bring in regulations, requiring those calling themselves podiatrists and providing medical foot care to register with the province's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and to have formal training.