This entry is submitted via Creative Reporter:

Male physicians wearing neckties may enjoy greater patient trust, but doctors in the UK may soon be abandoning these traditional symbols of authority.

According to the British Medical Association (BMA), doctors should no longer wear ties on ward rounds, because they can increase the spread of disease. This guidance comes in the wake of growing concerns over the problem of hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA.

The BMA's head of science and ethics, Vivienne Nathanson, said: "It's up to individuals, but what we're saying to doctors is that ties are a potential reservoir and they're unnecessary. Doctors have to recognise the potential risk."

It has been suggested that dangling ties may pick up bacteria if they brush against patients' skin or wounds during examinations, and these bacteria may then be passed on to other patients. The risk may be worsened by the fact that doctors wear their ties outside hospital, and may not wash them frequently enough.

Doctors who still prefer to dress formally could consider wearing very short ties or bow ties, though there is evidence that these may cause as many problems as ordinary neckties.

by Wendy Anne Prosser, a freelance writer and editor.