The Irish Hospital Consultants Association plans to protest to the HSE about its current advertising campaign asking patients to ask health professionals whether they have washed their hands.

Irish Health reports that the campaign has met with a mixed reaction from the public, judging by the latest irishhealth.com viewers’ poll results. One viewer says she has even complained to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission about the advertising campaign. (To view the full results and comments click on…http://www.irishhealth.com/poll.html?pollid=423 )

HSE Assistant National Director for Health Protection Dr Kevin Kelleher said evidence shows that hand hygiene is the single most effective defence against the spread of MRSA.

Donal Duffy, Assistant Secretary General of the IHCA, told irishhealth.com,

"They (consultants) find it gratuitously insulting, given that the campaign effectively accuses consultants of not washing their hands."

Janette Byrne of the Patients Together organization, said,

"If you are feeling very sick it would be difficult to have the worry of asking staff about their hand hygiene. We  feel that the full responsibility for this should be placed on hospital staff, and it is not fair to put this burden on the patient. … Many people would struggle to confront a doctor or nurse on this issue and we feel the campaign is very much a case of the HSE passing the buck."