Nurses' Uniforms "Infection Risk"
February 11th 2008
An NHS patient who contracted both MRSA and Clostridium Difficile in hospital has spoken up about the infection risk from nurses’ uniforms. Archie McAteer, 81, of Goosnargh, Lancashire, UK, was in recovery from cancer when he contracted the infections in 2006. He remains unable to walk and is nearly house-bound.
His wife, Mavis, is a former nurse. She believes infections are often brought into hospitals on nurses’ uniforms.
"It is worrying because you see nurses and sisters wandering round Asda in their uniforms," she told the Daily Mail. "They should be given the time to change. It is not just a case of putting your coat on top of your uniform and washing your hands, it needs a bit more than that."
Mrs McAteer, 74, says nurses should be banned from wearing uniforms outside work.
It emerged last week that bosses at Chorley and Preston’s hospitals may alter their existing uniform policy and ban nurses from wearing their uniforms outside of work. Currently, nurses can wear their uniforms while travelling to and from work, as long as they are covered by an outer garment.
Sue Reed of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: "While expert opinion suggests that this does not pose a significant hazard in terms of spreading infection, public perception is that there is a risk.
"The trust is currently exploring the possibility of prohibiting all staff from wearing uniform off trust premises."
Department of Health guidelines back up this view. They state: "There is no conclusive evidence that uniforms or other work clothes pose a significant hazard in terms of spreading infection.
"But the government does acknowledge that the public believe there is a risk and do not like seeing nurses wearing their uniform when they are off the premises."
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