Docs in turmoil over 'anti-Islamic' policy

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The policy requiring doctors to wear short sleeves offends some Muslim customs. (Getty Images)

Muslim doctors in the UK are calling for a review of an infection control policy that bans hospital workers from covering the lower part of their arms in a bid to reduce the spread of nosocomial infections.

The ‘bare below the elbow' policy came into force in all hospitals in the UK in January, following growing rates of the superbugs MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

The rule requires all healthcare staff to wear short sleeves when dealing with patients to stop cross-infection.

This is in breach of certain Muslim customs that require women to cover their arms to their wrists.

The UK-based Islamic Medical Association (IMA UK) told MT it had approached the Department of Health for a meeting over the policy after female Muslim medical students threatened to leave their studies, and a female Muslim radiographer quit her job.

There is no strong scientific evidence to support the bare arm, which was drawn up without consultation with Muslim healthcare professionals, said Dr Majid Katme, spokesperson for the IMA UK.

"We are worried that it will cause a large flood of people leaving hospitals and Muslim medical students leaving their studies. This is going to compromise the [National Health Service] and make patients' lives difficult, especially when there is no scientific evidence for doing it."

The British Medical Association (BMA), which supports the move, announced last month it would review the evidence for the ‘bare below the elbow' policy, as well as other research on hospital-acquired infections.

Commenting on the ruling, Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the BMA said: "Clothes need to get clean, that is the problem with clothing, unless it is washed everyday and there is no potential that is touches one patient and then another - the issue is about the nature of clothes."

Long disposable gloves or a strict policy of rolling up the sleeves during examinations, alongside rigorous hand and arm washing, were all possible solutions to the issue that Muslim doctors could discussed with their line managers, she added.

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