Written question asked by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton (Conservative) on Thursday, 1 December 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 December 2005. It was answered by Jane Kennedy (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 December 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Staff Uniforms

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to reduce the laundry turn-around time at hospitals and the risks of cross infection in homes and hospitals caused by hospital staff laundering uniforms at home.

Answer: National health service trusts management are required to adopt procedures that ensure that patients and staff are not put at risk of infection from used and infected linen. It is also their responsibility to establish with their laundry provider appropriate performance measures.The decision as to whether nurses' uniforms are laundered through the hospital laundry services, or whether nurses wash their uniforms themselves, is made locally.Advice and guidance on hospital laundry arrangements was issued to NHS trusts in ““Health Service Guidance HSG (95)18””. This sets out the arrangements for the handling and laundering of linen and states the importance of securing the disinfection of used and infected linen, including uniforms. This guidance is being reviewed to ensure it reflects current research evidence.

Secondary information