Madam, - Research has shown the importance of hand-washing in controlling the spread of infection from one patient to another. It is to my amazement that no one has made the following point in relation to the current escalation of MRSA infections in hospital and health care institutions.
Having trained as a nurse in the 1970s, I watch healthcare staff today breaking what was then the biggest rule of all by going to and from work in uniform, without even changing their shoes. How can one expect to provide a clean, hygienic presence having gone shopping to the local supermarket, butcher or hardware store in the same clothes and shoes one goes to work in? Another worrying aspect is that staff may be doing housework athome before changing their clothes, thus risking exposing family members to infections.
Many hospitals and care-giving institutions have reduced the space allocated to changing-rooms and often fail to provide adequate secure lockers and adjacent shower-rooms to encourage all staff to change going on and off duty.
Have any resources been allocated to examine the effect of staff not changing into uniform at their place of work? Does this put patients in a vulnerable position? - Yours, etc.,
MONICA HURSON KELLY,
Drumree,
Co Meath.