New Dress Code for Clinical Practitioners in the UK

The UK is adopting a new dress code for clinical practitioners as part of an ongoing effort to stem the tide of hospital-acquired infection, particularly MRSA.  Britain's Health Secretary Alan Johnson issued this statement today through the Government News Network:

"I'm determined that patient safety, including cleanliness, should be the first priority of every NHS organisation. Across the NHS we continue to bring the number of MRSA cases down and make progress on measures to reduce C.difficile."

The new package includes the following measures:

2. New guidance on clothing will mean that hospitals will adopt a new "bare below the elbows" dress code i.e. short sleeves, no wrist watch, no jewellery and allied to this the avoidance of ties when carrying out clinical activity. The traditional doctors' white coat will not be allowed. The new clothing guidance will ensure good hand and wrist washing.

All acute Trusts are expected to go 'bare below the elbows' by January 2008.