British hospitals: No sitting allowed

LONDON (AP) — Britons trying to cheer up their hospitalized friends and relatives often have to do so standing up; sitting on the bed usually isn't allowed.

In a commentary published today in the British medical journal BMJ, Dr. Iona Heath argues the recommendation is unjustified and denies patients the chance to be close to their loved ones.

British authorities claim the ban on sitting is needed to prevent patients from getting infected by visitors and health care staff.

"Don't be tempted to sit on the patient's bed," warns the Peninsula National Health Service Treatment Centre in Devon in guidance on its Web site. Hospitals throughout Britain have similar advice, in addition to banning fresh flowers.

"I was shocked when I heard about it," Heath said of the sitting ban.

Heath said she would definitely sit on a patient's bed if she was making a house call or in the hospital. "Doctors should never be discouraged from sitting, because patients consistently estimate that they have been given more time when the doctor sits down," Heath wrote in the commentary. "Such interactions are precious and should be made easier rather than more difficult."