Alcoholic hand gels removed from hospitals after patients use them to get drunk

Two hospitals in Staffordshire have decided to remove the dispensers from their wards, with the NHS so concerned about the thefts they have issued a Patient Safety Alert to all hospitals and clinics across the UK.

The cleanser, which has been in the NHS for more than four years and is used to tackle hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA, contains 75 per cent proof alcohol, nearly twice the strength of whisky.

The gel is supposedly undrinkable thanks to the foul tasting chemical additive bitrex but paramedics who have treated patients found with the dispensers say addicts will simply "drink through" the taste.



Last year reports suggested patients were stealing the £10-a-litre gel and mixing it with orange juice or cola to create powerful cocktails.

The National Patient Safety Agency's cleanyourhands initiative suggested the handrub should only be used "within the immediate contact area that a patient is being treated."

Despite an increased warning by the NPSA, patients are still stealing and drinking the dispensers, and there have been serious incidents, including deaths.