I BELIEVE the issue of infections in hospitals isn't as simple as making doctors wear white coats or having dedicated cleaners [White coat and cleaners please, Letters, June 4].
On the subject of white coats, if you want to make doctors wear them for hygiene then the logical thing to do would be to make them wear disposable coats which would have to be changed after seeing each patient.
If this doesn't happen, then there is no reason to make them wear only one white coat as they may as well wear their own clothes.
I also believe that it doesn't matter how many dedicated cleaning staff you have keeping a hospital clean as no one seems to address the biggest source of infection. What is it? Visitors.
If you want to limit the main source of infecton then visitors should not be allowed in the hospital. I can imagine the howls of protest at this suggestion.
So let me just say this; I have visited people in hospital, cleaning my hands with the gel provided, yet every time I do this I find that the ratio of people doing so to those just breezing into the wards is about 70-30 in favour of those just breezing in.
Aside from the hand washing, people visit wearing all manner of clothing, including various forms of workwear.
Also people bring in food for patients as well as all manner of presents, from cuddly toys to balloons and flowers.
So before people start bemoaning various issues such as cleaners and white coats, maybe they should think about the whole picture.
By the way, I do not work in a hospital: I'm a postman, but that's another story.
KEVIN WAUGH,
Hillingdon, by email.
