Alan Johnson, the health secretary, will today declare the long-sleeved white coats worn by generations of hospital doctors to be an MRSA-infection hazard that must be eliminated throughout the NHS in England.
He will issue a new dress code for all NHS staff requiring them to remain bare below the elbow whenever they are in contact with patients.
Ministers believe the MRSA superbug has been spreading from one patient to another on the cuffs of doctors' white coats. They think the bare arms rule will make it easier for staff to go through the correct hand- and wrist-washing procedures. Guidelines being issued to every NHS trust will also order doctors, nurses and therapists to stop wearing watches and jewellery. They will be advised to avoid wearing ties and to don plastic aprons when carrying out clinical activity.
Mr Johnson will announce the new rules at the start of a public consultation on ways to improve the NHS. He will say fear of catching a hospital superbug has overtaken waiting times as the public's most pressing concern about the health service. Some NHS trusts have already banned the traditional white coat on the wards and the government expects all to follow suit by January.
Mr Johnson said last night: "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 Clostridium difficile."
The dress code and other measures being announced today were "a clear signal to patients that doctors, nurses, and other clinical staff are taking their safety seriously".
Latest infection figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) showed there were 1,444 cases of MRSA bloodstream infections in the first three months of this year, compared with 1,542 in the previous quarter. There were 15,592 cases of C.diff infection, compared with 12,814 in the previous quarter.
Other measures will include greater authority for matrons and ward sisters to report directly to the hospital board if they have concerns that managers are not providing enough resources for infection control and cleanliness. They will make quarterly "ward-to-board" progress reports on hygiene.
There will be new clinical guidance to increase the use of isolation for patients who are infected with MRSA or C.diff.
The National Patient Safety Agency will also extend a "clean your hands campaign" from hospitals to GP surgeries, ambulance, mental health and care trusts, care homes and hospices.
A new legal requirement will be placed on all chief executives to report all outbreaks of MRSA and C.diff to the HPA. It will be backed up by fines for non-compliance.
Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "This guidance offers a positive step forward in introducing dress code standards across all health professions to help reduce healthcare associated infections."
