Is it better if you stay off the patient's bed? (From Bournemouth Echo)

Is it better if you stay off the patient's bed?

10:03am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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RULES banning people from sitting on patients’ beds or giving them flowers are only imposed for safety reasons, according to East Dorset’s two main hospitals.

They are responding to claims from a London GP that such regulations dehumanise care and make hospitals more frightening places to be.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, Dr Iona Heath said there was “no hard evidence” that banning flowers or sitting on beds prevented the spread of infection.

She asked: “Is it all in the interests of being seen to be doing something very noticeable about the worrying levels of hospital-based infections, however ineffective and disruptive?”

A spokeswoman for the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust said: “In common with the majority of trusts, we ask people visiting our hospitals to refrain from sitting on patients’ beds. This is in part for the prevention of infection but also to ensure that patients remain as comfortable as possible.

“It is also discouraged to ensure visitors do not accidentally interfere with vital equipment such as a patient’s intravenous drip or monitoring equipment.

“Each ward decides individually whether flowers are accepted at the patients’ bedside. This decision is based on factors such as whether the flowers will allow housekeeping enough access to thoroughly clean the area. Anyone not sure if flowers are accepted should contact the ward in advance.”

A Poole Hospital spokeswoman said: “Flowers are only restricted on wards where patients are particularly vulnerable to infection, such as the intensive care unit and bone marrow transplant ward.

“This is because standing water and vegetation can result in the growth of environmental bacteria such as pseudomonas, which can be harmful to patients who are at a high risk of contracting infections.”

She added: “Our staff are discouraged from sitting on patients’ beds, as evidence indicates that the environment immediately surrounding a patient contains a significant amount of their bacteria, including viruses if the patient has any, which can then easily be carried to another person’s bed.

“The safety of our patients is a priority and measures such as these are in place to help us protect our patients from infections.”