There are two issues here. The first is about infection control. I appreciate the issue of short sleeves and handwashing - nurses'
uniforms of a bygone age all had short sleeves and hardly any of them wore cardigans, whereas doctors' white coats all had long
sleeves. However, it used to be a requirement to change out of your hospital uniform, whatever it was, before going home so as not
to take infection with you. In addition, hospital uniforms were all boil-washed. If doctors attend to patients in 'mufty' not only
do they continue to share infection amongst the patients, they also take their bugs home, possibly via the shops/pub or whatever.
Furthermore with the increasing encouragement to use low temperature washes, bugs persist.
The second is identity - uniforms in the UK have become either non-existent or nondescript so the patients cannot distinguish
between ward sisters and cleaners sometimes which makes asking questions a bit difficult. White coats at least are likely to show
who the doctors are.
There is literature out there (pens and MRSA springs to mind) I just don't have time to find it and provide refs. It's an
interesting topic!
BW
Carol
Dr Carol Taylor
Senior Lecturer / Programme Leader, Professional Doctorate
CPD and Postgraduate Studies Division
Elizabeth Gaskell Campus
Manchester Metropolitan University
Hathersage Road
Manchester
M13 0JA
Tel: 44 (0) 161 247 2970
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
skype:carol.taylor99
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>>> Matt Williams <[log in to unmask]> 20/04/2009 21:34 >>>
They have all but disappeared from the UK. Most NHS trusts now ban them
on infection control grounds.
Matt
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