Almost half of doctors in south Wales fail to wash their hands properly.

When health council member Alison Morgan claimed to have noticed staff not washing their hands and challenging doctors, they asked "why?"

Mrs Morgan described the situation as abysmal.

Latest figures from a spot check in December showed that only 58 per cent of doctors were complying with guidelines.

Victoria Franklin, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board’s director of nursing, confirmed 42 per cent of doctors and consultants had failed to ensure their hands were cleaned properly.

Mrs Franklin said she had heard the issue discussed in a talk and said she believed it was important to ensure that the culture of not washing hands was completely unacceptable.