Embarrassing hospital row resolved - everyone takes bibles home with them

The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, in the continuing row over whether bibles and other religious literature left at the side of patients beds constitute a risk of MRSA infections, now says it will give the ward bibles to patients to take home.

The hospital hopes its plan will reduce the risk of MRSA infections.

The potential health risks of leaving Bibles or other religious literature at the side of patients' beds were raised by the Leicester health trust last week and created a very embarrassing public relations disaster.

The tabloid media had jumped on the decision of the trust's chaplain to stall a request from Gideons International to be allowed to replace patients' bedside Bibles, and interpreted it on the front pages of their newspapers as paramount to banning the Bible from hospital wards.

The hospital trust denied the accusations but a later statement from Anne McGregor, head of communications, then said the infection control team was considering whether the Bibles might contribute to the spread of MRSA and other superbugs.

The Great Western Hospital in Swindon said it was minimising risks by handing them to people to keep.

The health secretary and MP for Leicester West, Patricia Hewitt, very sensibly stayed out of the controversy.