Healthcare workers' uniforms: roles, types and determining policy

Demonstrating reductions in healthcare-associated infection has become a political and clinical priority in the NHS. A plethora of strategies have received the attention of evidence-based practice, one of which is the healthcare worker's uniform and the extent to which it may be implicated in the transmission of infection. Although existing evidence suggests that this risk is low, public opinion believes that such a correlation exists. However, it is difficult for researchers to quantify the level of risk, and organizations should be wary about developing uniform policies based on tenuous infection control evidence. Although professional standards dictate that healthcare workers perform their duties in a well-groomed, appropriately attired manner, it is infection control that should underpin an organization's uniform policy; patients should be well-informed and reassured by this.