Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench). It was answered on Thursday, 8 December 2005.

NHS: Staff Facilities

Question: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply but do not find it very satisfactory. Does he agree that since we have a National Health Service, hospital infections which spread all over the country—such as MRSA, the diarrhoea C. difficile and all sorts of other infections which cling on to materials—are important? Does he also agree that the public and patients are concerned about seeing nurses around supermarkets and on buses and tubes? Should there not be minimum standards for the National Health Service across the country?

Answer: My Lords, we have given guidance in this area. The noble Baroness is quite right, these are serious issues. It comes down to people at local trust level using that guidance to apply appropriate services locally. I have taken on the responsibility of reviewing whether the changing and laundry policies should be revised, but we have advice from microbiologists that washing uniforms at home at the domestic clothes washer’s temperature of 60° centigrade followed by a rinse cycle is more than adequate in these circumstances.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 676 c739-40
Session: 2005-06
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Hospitals Hygiene Infectious diseases NHS Nurses Uniforms Facilities Staff Sanitation Cleaning services
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk