A prominent doctor has labelled the coronavirus screening processes at Sydney Airport a public health disaster.

Key points: A doctor claims to have seen a nurse touching passengers' faces without changing gloves

A doctor claims to have seen a nurse touching passengers' faces without changing gloves Nurses are using tympanic thermometers which require close contact with passengers

Nurses are using tympanic thermometers which require close contact with passengers NSW Health are responsible for the temperature testing regime

Jacky Hewitt touched down at Sydney Airport on Saturday after a trip to Thailand with her 13-month-old son.

She claimed to have seen a health professional "potentially spread COVID-19 amongst thousands of arrivals".

Like all new international arrivals, Dr Hewitt and her son underwent health screening including temperature checks.

Dr Hewitt said a nurse took her inner-ear temperature with a tympanic thermometer and in doing so touched her face.

She said the nurse then proceeded to touch other people's faces with the same gloves.

"I yelped. I was horrified," Dr Hewitt said.

Last week Sydney International Airport was hit with overcrowding and long queues as travellers arrived back in Australia. ( Supplied: Sally Prosser )

Dr Hewitt, who is a paediatrician and has a senior role in a humanitarian aid organisation, alerted the nurse to the dangers of using her hands to stabilise the hand-held device.

"What I witnessed was a public health disaster," she said.

The nurse advised Dr Hewitt that she had received little training and wasn't told to change gloves between patients.

When Dr Hewitt raised the complaint with a doctor on-site, they explained they were overwhelmed and had limited personal protective equipment.

"That doctor actually told me that passengers and crew moving through the screening area had been stealing their personal protective equipment, leaving them short."

All new international arrivals must undergo a health screening at Sydney Airport. ( Twitter: Jason Notary )

'Concerning' practices ongoing

Doctor Amy Neilson landed at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning on a repatriation flight from Lima, Peru.

She had her temperature tested by a nurse using a tympanic thermometer.

She said the nurse did not perform the procedure with fresh gloves.

Dr Neilson questioned why touch technology was being used considering the wide range of alternatives on the market.

"If you're going to use touch technology then you have to be very careful between each person," Dr Neilson said.

"It's a very basic thing, if you're using gloves, you need to change them each time. If you're not, it's a clear avenue for transmission.

"It's highly concerning."

Sydney Airport said it was not responsible for conducting the temperature checks.

"We don't actually employ nurses," Sydney Airport said in a statement.

"It's officials from NSW Health who are conducting the temperature checks, working in conjunction with Australian Border Force and federal biosecurity agents.

"Sydney Airport is cooperating closely with these agencies and providing significant logistical and operational support."

NSW Health has been contacted for comment.

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The Public Sector Union had previously complained about the health screening procedures at Sydney Airport.

In a statement last week, the union said the testing space was too small for all passengers, and disembarking was not being staggered to allow for social distancing.

Up until last Thursday, screening was only required for passengers who had been in COVID-19 high-risk countries.

Previously, agencies had randomly tested all other passengers for temperatures.