GWENT hospital staff are being encouraged to get naked - below the elbow - to build on award-winning infection control work.

Doctors, nurses and other staff whose work takes them into clinical areas in hospitals will be asked to wear short sleeved shirts or blouses, or roll up long sleeves, and not wear wristwatches, or rings containing stones.

The aim is to expand on a project designed to boost hand hygiene that earlier this year won an NHS Wales award for Liz Waters, Gwent Healthcare Trust's lead nurse in infection control, and her team, for improving patient safety.

The Naked Below The Elbow campaign has been taken up by hospitals in England in recent months, and Mrs Waters said introducing it in Gwent is the next phase in the ongoing battle against infection.

"We've done a lot of work around hand hygiene, which has been going really well, and we want to up the pace," she said.

"Wearing as little as possible below the elbow allows for far more effective hand hygiene.

"Watches and rings, particularly those with stones, and shirt sleeves can harbour infection and staff will be asked to remove them.

"What we should be doing as nurses is coming on duty like that. We will be encouraging them to buy fob watches, which can be worn on the front of the uniform like the old traditional watches used to be. Plastic ones are available and they can be put in the washing machine.

"There will be an expectation on all healthcare workers to support this campaign."