Your Ref
Our Ref / AMW/SMcP
Enquiries to / Dr Annemaree Wallace
Extension / 290
Direct Line / 01786 457290
Email /
Dear Colleague
NATIONAL DRESS CODE AND UNIFORM POLICY
We would like to draw to your attention to the national dress code and NHS Forth Valley Uniform Policy2010. These policies are to protect patients, visitors and yourself from infection and enable you to undertake correct hand hygiene technique. The following procedures apply:-
1. If you are in a clinical areawhere you will have physical contact with patients:
- No suit jackets or long sleeves should be worn i.e.“bare below the elbow”. The only exception to this is wearing a long sleeved plastic apron or gown as PPE to attend patients with certain infections when special measures are recommended.
- Ties should not be worn when giving direct clinical care.
- Hair which touches the collar should be restrained and tied back or up.
- Jewellery should not be worn in clinical settings except for one smooth metal ring and a pair of small stud ear rings.
- Wristwatches must be removed when examining a patient or giving clinical care.
It is important, even if you are going through a ward corridor to enter an administrative office or speak to the nurses at the reception desk,that you still use the hand rub when entering the ward and leaving as this acts as a prompt to other staff andalso reassures thepublic.
In outpatient settings it is good practice to use hand rub between patient contacts.
2. In theatres where specially coloured clean scrubs are available to all staff they must be left in the correct laundry hamper for processing at the end of the list/session. Used and soiled theatre shoes/clogs/boots should be placed in the correct containers for washing and disinfection.
3.Clothing and footwear worn in healthcare settings should be clean, in good repair and appropriate to the clinicians duties. Footwear should be enclosed to protect feet from blood and sharps injuries.
4. If you work in an area such as Accident & Emergency and Paediatrics you can anticipate that patients will occasionally vomit or bleed on your clothing without warning. In these settings scrubs are available either to wear for your shift, or to change into so youcan promptly remove any soiled personal clothing items.
Medical staff are highly influential in improving compliance; both with the dress code and hand hygiene. As you knowmembers of the public notice, and indeed complain, if they observe staff members who do not wash their hands before and after care episodes.
If you are challenged about inadequateinfection control practice by anyone: staff, patient, public or an Inspector from the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) please accept this with good grace. It is important as senior professionals that we promote good practice at all times. As you know, it is a requirement for all staff to comply with the policies put in place to ensure good hand hygiene and reduce the incidence of HAI.
Your co-operation in this matter is much appreciated.
Yours sincerely
Dr Anne Maree WallaceDr Iain Wallace
Director of Public HealthMedical Director
HAI Executive LeadNHSForthValley
NHSForthValley