No ties for British doctors?

Doctors should stop wearing ties and traditional white coats to work because they might be responsible for spreading deadly hospital superbugs, according to a report on Monday.

The British Medical Association, which represents three-quarters of the country’s doctors, said ties performed no beneficial function in treating patients and, as they were rarely washed, were a potential bug haven.

In Britain alone, up to 5,000 people every year are killed by hospital infections such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), costing the state-funded National Health Service as much as 1 billion pounds a year, the BMA said.

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Washing hands properly was the most important action medical staff could take to help stop the spread of the so-called superbugs.

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However other steps, such as doctors abandoning ties and other “functionless” clothing, could also help minimize the risk, said Peter Maguire, deputy chairman of the BMA’s board of science.

“Hand-washing, wearing clothes that minimize the spread of infection such as clean, closely woven cotton, and stopping wearing ... functionless clothing such as ties will make a huge difference,” Maguire added.