Researchers looked at whether health professionals should screen low risk patients for MRSA (meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
They found mandatory screening for all patients admitted to English hospitals was 'unethical and should be reconsidered'.
Dr Michael Millar, who published the findings in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) today, has questioned the validity of consent for screening when the levels of risk are not adequately explained to patients.
MRSA testing for all patients began in April 2009. But Dr Millar says his findings show consent is not genuine, as patients are not told that mandatory screening results in high numbers of false positives. Patients who test positive for MRSA are placed in isolation and their treatment is delayed.
Dr Millar, a microbiologist from Barts and The London NHS Trust, said: 'Patients placed in isolation can suffer psychological and physical harms, partly as a result of the reduced contact with healthcare workers and others.'
He added there is little evidence screening all patients for MRSA reduces infection rates and this policy 'runs contrary to current UK guidelines for the control of MRSA, which emphasise selective screening, and to US guidelines, which do not support legislation to mandate MRSA screening'.
MRSA rates fell by more than half between 2003 and 2009. However, the overall number of healthcare associated infections have been rising substantially.
In this study Dr Millar concludes: 'Asymptomatic MRSA patients present a low risk of transmission and the focus should be aimed at patients with active infection and tackling poor staff hand hygiene.
'It is generally agreed that MRSA is spread in hospitals on the hands of healthcare staff and that the determinants of transmission include microbial load and degree of contact with healthcare workers.'
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