Recent government initiatives to combat superbugs in hospitals were today condemned by a leading medical journal for not being based on scientific fact. The Lancet said there was little or no evidence to support either hospital "deep cleans" or medical staff wearing short sleeves.

Gordon Brown announced new plans to "deep clean" hospitals in his speech to the conference on Monday. Last week, the health secretary, Alan Johnson, said a new dress code would advise doctors against wearing long-sleeved coats and ties.

But the Lancet said efforts to fight killer bugs such as MRSA should instead focus on disinfecting work surfaces.

In a highly critical editorial, the journal said government-sponsored research had found little evidence to support wearing short sleeves. "Disinfection of high-touch surfaces is what is needed, more so than removing visible dirt," it said.

"The public wants clean wards and crisp uniforms, but politicians must stop pandering to populism about hospital cleanliness and listen to the evidence.

"Brown also plans to double the number of hospital matrons, to check on ward cleaning and accost doctors wearing long sleeves. They would be better employed making sure doctors, nurses and visitors wash their hands properly, the proven way to stop hospital-acquired infections."

Writing in the News of the World, Mr Brown said: "Over the next year, every hospital will receive a deep clean. A ward at a time, walls, ceilings, fittings and ventilation shafts will be disinfected and scrubbed clean."