Lynne "the EU must act to protect nurses"

10.22.24pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 28th Jun 2006

Every year more than a million needlestick injuries are suffered by nurses and other healthcare professionals in the European Union.

Tomorrow (29/06/06), West Midlands Liberal Democrats MEP Liz Lynne, Health and Safety Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, will be hosting a meeting with nursing leaders from across Europe to discuss a new report aimed at securing EU action to combat the problem of needlestick injuries.

The meeting comes ahead of a vote by the European Parliament on a report from the Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee on needle stick injuries. Commenting ahead of the meeting Liz Lynne said "I'm delighted to be hosting this meeting with nursing leaders from across Europe. The fight to provide better protection for Europe's healthcare workers from needlestick and other sharps injuries is vital if we are to better protect our nurses, doctors and auxiliary workers from potentially fatal blood borne viruses, such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C."

"Healthcare workers across the EU deserve better protection. We need a combination of better training, safer working practices and the use of medical devices that incorporate needle protection."

"If a healthcare worker is accidentally pricked they face an agonising wait to find out if they have contracted diseases such as HIV or hepatitis, We need to do all that we can to reduce risks to our healthcare professionals."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. MEP's will vote next week on a report adopted in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee calling for an amendment to the Biological Agents directive 2000/54/EC to include legislative provisions for Healthcare workers.

For further information, comment or to book an interview, please telephone Liz Lynne on 003222845521 (Brussels) or 077644 52725(mobile) or Press Officer Ollie Newham on 01789 266354