Nurses have been warned about wearing nail extensions and using nail polish after a poll suggested infection control was being put at risk by fashion-conscious NHS staff.
Guidance states that fingernails should be short and free of varnish. But an online poll of nearly 500 student nurses found lapses were commonplace with 60% reporting nail extensions and polish being used.
The Royal College of Nursing said the findings were ‘worrying’.
The survey was carried out by Cardiff University and London’s City University. Overall each of the 488 students who took part reported seeing at least one breach in infection control rules by health staff once other problems, such as a failure to wash hands as well as breaches of nail care were taken into account.
The researchers said the survey showed lapses were widespread.
Tom Sandford, of the RCN, added: ‘Fingernails should be short and free of nail varnish. False nails should not be worn. Nail varnish and extensions harbour bacteria and prevent good hand hygiene. Health organisations should uphold clear local policies on uniforms and work-wear and their implications for infection control and health and safety.’ BBC

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The results of the trial reveal that thigh-length intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) reduces the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which commonly affects stroke patients. Until now, no treatment has been available that safely reduces the risk of the blood clots in the legs and the risk of dying.
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The IPC sleeves, which cost the NHS as little as

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CLASSIC was a multinational open-label randomised phase III trial performed in South Korea, China and Taiwan. Patients with stage II

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