Year: 2007
Type: article
Abstract: Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England, has named, in his latest annual report, "unacceptably poor" hand hygiene in hospitals and the chronic lack of organs for transplantation as the two most pressing public health issues.Despite improvements in some hand hygiene practices, he said, such as more widespread use of alcohol based handrubs, the percentage of healthcare staff complying with hand cleaning protocols seldom exceeded 60%-and was often even lower."Patients find it astonishing and alarming that often nurses and doctors do not routinely wash their hands," said Professor Donaldson."However, they often don't feel able to ask doctors or nurses if they've washed their hands."He said it might be possible to empower patients by providing them with their own alcohol based handrubs, which they would be able to offer to clinical staff.A pilot study to test this was already being organised in an NHS hospital, overseen by the hospital hygiene expert Didier Pittet of the World Health Organization.Professor Donaldson also renewed calls for the introduction of an opt-out system for organ donation, in which it would be assumed that people were willing to donate their organs unless they specified otherwise.This was, he said, vital to save lives "among a group of people who are currently dying at a rate of one a day."He said: "There is a shortage of organs in this country, as there is in other countries, and the situation is getting worse."He acknowledged that parliament had already rejected such an opt-out system, but he added: "Confronted with the worsening situation, people who opposed it in the past may now wish to change their minds."The chief medical officer's annual report for 2006, On the State of Public Health, is available at www. dh.gov.uk/cmo.Hand hy�giene is a key� health issue, say�s CMO UK NEWS Doctors' pay rises outlined, p 117 WorlD NEWS �ealt�� �or�ers li�ely to escape li�yan deat�� penalty, p 11� �ealt�� �or�ers li�ely to escape li�yan deat�� penalty, p 11� , p 11� �mj.com �ealt�� department �ro�e rules in Dr �oster contract �ealt�� department �ro�e rules in Dr �oster contract news For the full versions of articles in this section see bmj.com
Source: BMJ
Author: Susan Mayor
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medical Services
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2016307087