Will New Dress Code for UK Doctors Cut Infection Rates?

But infection was not just a problem in Victorian times. "The introduction of the 'bare below the elbows policy' by the UK government is a response to rising rates of hospital-acquired infections like MRSA and C. difficile," says Jones. "But medical opinion is divided. Some feel the rules will undermine patient confidence and others feel it could, despite the flimsy evidence available, help to reduce infection rates. I suspect some compromise will need to be found that maintains the patient's perception of a highly professional doctor and yet also reflects the concern that doctors' clothing is transmitting infection.”

The new policy was announced by UK Health Secretary Alan Johnson on Sept. 17 2007 with instructions that all acute-care hospitals should have a 'bare below the elbows' policy in place by January 2008.

Reference: Bare below the elbows: a brief history of surgeon attire and infection. Jones A. BJU International. 102, pp 665-666. (September 2008).

Source: Wiley-Blackwell