@Emmie.
"really, are you sure about that, if you are working in a hospital, surgery how do you not come into contact with patients, that is what hospitals are, full of unwell people, who given the MRSA bug and other unmentionables, can see them off or make their stay a lot longer than it need be. Don;t make rules for one and not the other, make them across the board, so people know where they stand"
Yes, I am sure about that. There are communal places in hospitals - corridors,offices, canteens, shops,chapels, waiting areas, lobbies and a myriad other places where it is perfectly acceptable for any member of staff to be wearing long sleeves without any risk of transmission of MRSA or somesuch. The point is that those members of staff whose job involves direct contact with patients should be aware of infection control measures when transitioning between these areas or between their jobs.
And there are places where it is not - wards, clinics - anywhere there is direct interaction requiring touching between medical staff and patients.