Doc's white coat risks infection

Doctors in the UK are being banned from wearing their traditional white coats in an effort to stem the spread of infectious diseases found in hospitals.

New guidelines published yesterday (September 17th) also state that doctors cannot wear neckties, long sleeves, jewelry and watches, and will take effect next year said the department of health.

"Ties are rarely laundered but worn daily," it said in a statement.

"They perform no beneficial function in patient care and have been shown to be colonised by pathogens."

While visiting the critical care unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital in hospital, Health Secretary Alan Johnson told the Associated Press: "These are the kinds of practical ways to tackle the issue.

"Once everybody understands the rules that apply it becomes second nature. Everyone does not need much convincing that this is in the best interest of patient care."

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, accounts for more than 40 per cent of in-hospital blood infections in the UK.