Hospitals cut down on Christmas decorations to curb superbugs

In an attempt to curb the spread of superbugs such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile, this Christmas some hospitals in Britain will have fewer Christmas decorations.

Although wards will have a Christmas tree, there will be fewer decorations such as tinsel and paper chains in order to ensure that hygiene standards are not compromised.

Christmas decorations are being kept to a minimum in Gloucestershire's hospitals because the hospital trust believes it is important there are no obstacles to hinder in any way the cleaning process in clinical areas.

The trust says while it recognises that patients will want to celebrate Christmas in the wards there is a need to be sensible in order to keep patients safe and wards must be infection-free.

The Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust has banned tinsel and paper chains from Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal hospitals for hygiene reasons but some of the non-clinical areas of the two hospitals will be allowed to have Christmas decorations.