Bed sit ban to control superbug

Visitors must not sit on beds at Southampton General Hospital

Families have been banned from sitting on patients' beds at a city's hospitals to reduce the MRSA superbug.

Relatives and friends will be forced to sit on chairs at the bedside in Southampton University NHS Trust wards.

The strict new rules are designed to reduce MRSA infection rates in one of the country's largest health trusts.

The new regime at the trust's four city hospitals also limits visitor numbers and only permits children with the approval of the ward manager.

Infection rates

A trust spokeswoman said: "Only two visitors at a time will be allowed at the bedside and they should sit on chairs rather than the patient's bed to minimise infection risks."

The trust - the eighth biggest in the country, which runs Southampton General, Princess Anne, Royal South Hants and the Countess Mounbatten hospitals - saw infection rates fall by 41% between April and June 2006, compared to the same period last year.

We appreciate that having family and friends visit when you are ill is important and we are not aiming to stop that Judy Gillow, director of nursing

It is hoped the new rules, which regulate visiting times to between 1500 BST and 2000 BST, will further reduce MRSA infection rates.

Judy Gillow, director of nursing, said: "We appreciate that having family and friends visit when you are ill is important and we are not aiming to stop that.

"All we are asking is for visitors to do their bit to help us provide the best possible care for patients by following these simple guidelines."

The spokeswoman stressed that rules will be more flexible for seriously ill patients.

Paul Beard, the director of the Royal College of Nursing, welcomed the new rules.

He said: "The RCN supports the measures, which the Southampton trust has launched, as they will improve patient care and the clinical environment."