Pains In The Neck
‘NO sign of Lesley Ash, the celebrity face of MRSA, in the Mails front-page story on how ONE IN TEN PATIENTS CATCHES AN INFECTION IN HOSPITAL.
The Mail says the chances of contracting a potentially fatal illness by checking into a British hospital are among the highest in the world. (No figures are provided to back this claim up, but as soon as we get the data from hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Indian sub-continent and elsewhere well let you know.)
The Mail has seen a report from the British Medical Association which says that MRSA and clostridium difficile (a cause of diarrhoea) play some part in the deaths of at least 5,000 patients a year.
In England alone, 300,000 patients a year pick up an infection during a hospital visit.
And the Mail thinks it knows why. Its all the Governments fault. It seems that the race to meet NHS targets has led to a higher turn around time on hospital beds. And this means nurses do not have adequate time to clean beds between patients.
And then there are the neckties. The Sun hears the BMA say that in tests doctors ties have been shown to be colonised by pathogens.
The BMA calls the ties functionless clothing. It goes on: Ties perform no beneficial function on patient care. It wants medics to stop wearing them.
And here we much strongly disagree. The tie is a sign that the doctor is to be trusted, and is deserving of our trust. The tie is a visual reminder of what school the doctor attended. A novelty tie can show off his golf handicap and that he is blessed with a keen sense of humour.
Indeed, we would prefer female doctors also to wear ties – ascot, cravat or bow, whichever they prefer.
The problem is not the tie. The problem is the lack of the tie pin – vital in keeping the tie reassuringly fastened to the medical professionals starched shirt.
Its all about standards. And with so many bugs on the rise, this is not the time to lower them…’
Posted: 21st, February 2006 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
