Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 572: To ask the Minister for Health in the interests of infection control within the hospital network, if he will consider the implementation of "bare below the elbow" practices as is the case within UK hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15544/11]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 573: To ask the Minister for Health in the interests of infection control within the hospital network, if he will consider the discontinuation of the wearing of white coats and neck ties by hospital personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15543/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 572 and 573 together.

Health care Association Infections (HCAIs) continue to be a challenge for health care systems worldwide. Ireland is not unique in this regard and tackling HCAIs here continues to be a priority for the Government and for the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Good infection control practices includes adherence to standard precautions when caring for all patients and using transmission based precautions when appropriate (for example, if a patient has diarrhoea, the patient should be cared for with contact precautions). Standard precautions includes hand hygiene (using alcohol hand rub or antiseptic soap) as specified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) 5 moments of hand hygiene and appropriate environmental and equipment cleaning/decontamination.

The professional advice received by officials of my Department is that the wearing of white coats and ties are personal rather than infection control matters. Standard professional practice includes regular laundering of white coats as with any item of personal clothing and if wearing a neck tie, when examining a patient to tuck the tie into the shirt (between buttons) to avoid it draping over the patient.

Recently published reports indicate that there is no scientific evidence that a bare below the elbows policy reduces contamination on health care workers hands. However, common sense would dictate that hands are easier to clean if sleeves are shorter rather than longer (rolled up or short sleeves).

Irish hand hygiene guidelines recommend that in preparation for hand hygiene, all wrist and hand jewellery (except plain wedding bands) must be removed and that shirts should have short or turn up sleeves. Standard practice is that if a person is wearing long sleeves, in order for hands to be effectively decontaminated the sleeves must be rolled up before hand hygiene. The recent WHO Hand Hygiene Day on 5 May built on the successful "WHO Clean Care is Safer Care" campaign to galvanise hand hygiene at the point of patient care, thus helping to reduce the spread of HCAIs. As part of the day's actions, health care facilities world wide demonstrated their continued commitment by signing up to the global movement and undertaking and sharing locally driven activities on hand hygiene improvements at the point of patient care. I am pleased to state that as of 3rd May, some 85 HSE health care facilities had signed up to the initiative which demonstrates Irish health care personnel's commitment to the control and eradication of HCAIs.

I note the decrease of 40% in the number of MRSA cases reported between 2006 and 2009, and the fact that preliminary figures for 2010 indicate that this downward trend is continuing. I am satisfied that significant steps are being taken to reduce the rates of health care Associated Infections and to treat them promptly when they occur.