NHS what-not-to-wear guidance aims to cut infection rate in hospitals
Guidance to help NHS trusts develop local policies on appropriate workwear has been published this week by the Department of Health in a further bid to address health care-associated infections (HCAIs).
In “Uniforms
and workwear: an evidence base for developing local policy”, the DoH recommends that employees should wear short-sleeved
shirts and should not wear white coats when providing patient care, because
the cuffs of long-sleeved garments can become heavily contaminated. Nails
should be kept short and clean, it says, and it is poor practice to wear
neckties (other than bow ties) during any activity that involves direct
patient contact.
“While the emphasis is on workwear for those who have direct patient
contact, much of it applies to other staff, including non-clinical staff,” the
document states.
The document sets out the current evidence base behind different ways
of laundering clothing to minimise the risk of the spread of HCAIs and
provides examples of best practice for trusts to take into account. How
uniforms affect the image of NHS organisations and individual professionals is also considered in the document (PJ, 18 August, p181).
“Both infection control and public confidence should underpin a
trust’s
uniform policy, but the two are not necessarily interchangeable,” the
document concludes.
A second DoH document entitled “Isolating patients with healthcare-associated
infection” (PDF 60K), published in tandem, provides a framework
for trusts to review and improve isolation practices for dealing with
patients
with
meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium
difficile and
other HCAIs.
Single rooms, if available, should always be the first choice for a patient
with an HCAI, according to the publication. It says that, in such cases,
there should be clear signs on the door or wall to alert staff and visitors
to infection-control precautions and that patients’ notes and charts
should be kept outside the room or bay.
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