I think doctors SHOULD wear ties

LAST week, John Bercow, the Speaker, declared that MPs no longer have to wear ties. I think this is a mistake. I’m a fan of people looking smart — and for me this means men wearing ties.

Sadly, under infection control rules, doctors are banned from wearing them, even though there’s no clear evidence that ties contributed to hospitalacquired infections.

There is apparently, though, some evidence that wearing nothing at all can help reduce the risk of infection.

When I was a junior doctor, a consultant surgeon loved telling us about a group of Swedish researchers who decided to look at infection rates.

The story goes that, in true Scandinavian style, they decided to see if operating naked reduced the risk of wound infection.

The rationale was that friction from the surgical scrubs caused skin to be constantly shed during the operation — and with it, bacteria.

At this point the consultant would guffaw. I was never quite sure if the story was true, but thankfully the idea has never caught on.

nor is it just ties. White coats have also largely been abandoned because of the risk of spreading infection. Yet in Hong Kong, where white coats are still standard, the rates of hospital-acquired infection are considerably lower than in hospitals here.

In fact, it’s not the white coats that are the risk: it’s the frequency and temperature of washing that are important. (White coats are designed to be washed at high temperatures — I boiled mine, whereas the work clothes I wear now would shrink if I did that, yet presumably also harbour organisms.)

There are plastic aprons you can wear, but these are next to useless in covering you up.

What’s more, because they’re the same as the catering staff’s, it does lead to people coming up to you to ask for an extra helping of rhubarb crumble.

All this has meant that doctors no longer look ‘ smart’ on the ward, and patients can’t identify who is a doctor.

Being smart is also a sign of respect for your patients.

Of course, there’s always bow ties, but the only doctor I know who wore one was a creepy surgeon when I was a student. The tie, combined with a ruddy complexion and bulbous nose, meant he looked more like he was off to entertain at a child’s party than do a ward round.

Thankfully, he wasn’t Swedish.