Mobile telephones are a major source of bacteria and many nurses in Dutch hospitals do not regularly clean them, according to research by nursing body V&VN.

One third of the 1,500 V&VN members who took part in the research said they never cleaned their phones, or did so just a couple of times a year, broadcaster RTL Nieuws reported on Friday.

‘The phone would appear to be the new dishcloth – you don’t realise how dirty it can be,’ director Sonja Kersten said. ‘We can make major improvements in this.’

Hospital hygiene rules should be expanded to take phones and tablets into account, Kersten said.  Some 69% of those polled said they used their mobile phones as part of their job.