The Scottish government has decided that all new hospitals should have 100% single rooms to offer privacy and reduce hospital acquired infections. On bmj.com, two experts debate the issue. Hugh Pennington, Emeritus Professor of Bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, argues that single rooms in hospitals "are important in preventing and controlling healthcare associated infections." They also increase patients' privacy dignity, and confidentiality, as well as facilitating family involvement in patient care and increasing the opportunities for treatment at the bedside, he adds...

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