The HSE has ordered hospitals to take action to improve hygiene standards and control hospital-acquired infection.

And it is telling doctors in particular to wash their hands more often.

The action plan follows a number of damning hygiene reports on hospitals following recent inspections by the safety body HIQA.

The HSE says areas that require immediate attention in hospitals include cleaning of patient care equipment, improving hand hygiene, isolation of patients to limit the spread of infection, and reducing antibiotic use to cut down on antibiotic-resistant infections

The health executive,, has now told hospitals to ensure that a member of their senior management team is responsible for hygiene. This staff member must report on how the hospital is performing according to hygiene standards and where deficits are identified, how these will be dealt with, by the end of this year.

Each hospital has also been asked to ensure that there is a hygiene programme in place by the end of this year which clearly demonstrates a commitment to hygiene, specifically focusing on patient care equipment, the patient environment, and hand hygiene.

Hospitals are also being urged to ensure that 100% of staff have receive hand hygiene education and training by June 2014. HIQA reports have criticised the lack of hand hygiene opportunities being taken by some hospital staff.

On doctors' apparent reluctance to wash their hands regularly when in contact with patients, the HSE says it is working with the main professional bodies to address the issue of doctor attitudes and behaviour around hand hygiene.

A recent HIQA hygiene inspection at Beaumont Hospital found that hand hygiene practices of medical staff undertaking ward rounds in both the neurosurgical intensive care unit and the emergency department were not in line with best practice guidelines.

Hand hygiene, HIQA said, was not completed when the medical team went from patient to patient during ward rounds.

Research has shown that generally, doctors' hand hygiene practices compare poorly with those of other hospital staff.

Hospitals have been ordered to provide monthly reports to the HSE on how they are improving hygiene standards, according to a response by Health Minister James Reilly given to Fianna Fail health spokesperson Billy Kelleher for the latest meeting of the Oireachtas Health Committee.

Doctors have worst hand hygiene- report