HEALTH bosses have been accused of putting their foot in it - by banning doctors, nurses and other health staff from wearing novelty socks.

Front line staff in uniform will face disciplinary action should characters like Donald Duck, Wallace and Gromit and Homer Simpson adorn their ankles after they were labelled "unprofessional."

It has also been suggested that staff wearing comical socks could put people off going to local hospitals for surgery, now they have the choice to go elsewhere.

The ruling is part of East Lancashire Hospital Trust's first ever uniform policy, covering all staff, expected to be approved by health bosses at a meeting today.

It includes a ban on clothing which is too tight or see-through, extreme hairstyles, large bows and hair bands and excessive tattoos.

Suit-clad managers who don't meet the public as regularly will be allowed to wear whatever socks they like - and that goes for ties too.

But the socks policy has been attacked by critics as petty and dogmatic.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said bosses needed to "chill out" and added: " I am hoping to get some for Christmas and I will wear them when I meet the Trust! I wouldn't have any problem wearing them in Parliament either. I know some MPs do."

And Sharron Parker, Lancashire spokeswoman for the Royal College of Nursing, added: "We must not forget that staff also have a human side and often like to express their individuality in a way that does not detract from the professionalism."

Lynn Wissett, the Trust's director of clinical care and governance, said: "The policy is about public confidence in our staff and our organisation.

"A key part of what our staff and members of the public have told us is that we need to spell out clearly what is and isn't acceptable in relation to personal appearance, dress, grooming and hygiene."

In a report to managers Mrs Wissett said it was essential that staff gave the right impression now patients have a choice of up to five hospitals when first seen by their GP.

But Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said the move was "absolutely stupid."

He said: "It is completely superfluous. It sounds as if somebody has too much time on their hands.

"It is such a non-issue for somebody to dream up. Where does it stop?"

He said allowing managers but not staff to wear the socks was a "huge case of discrimination, no doubt dreamt up by someone wearing a suit and novelty socks."

Mr Pope said bosses needed to "chill out".

He said: "I would have thought they are harmless fun personally so it sounds a bit over restrictive.

"If I fall ill then the thought that nursing staff and doctors will be wearing novelty socks won't put me off going to that hospital."

One long-standing member of staff said: "It's just daft. The managers treat us like children and then they wonder why people say they are fed up.

"They should be spending more time on trying to get red of the Trust's debt. They say they want to involve staff but they never sit down with you and talk about anything, they just tell you what to do."

Tim Ellis, Lancashire spokesman for union Unison, said: "We don't want a dress code policy which produces grey clones. Hospitals are about individuals, they are not factories."

The policy may be flexible, for example allowing doctors who work with children to wear novelty socks.

The policy does not address the issue of veils for Muslim women - but bosses have said staff who want to wear the veil would have their case looked at "on its individual merits".

John Amos, vice chairman of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum, the Trust's official watchdog, said: "On the face of it, it might seem petty but, on the other hand, if you are a patient you do need to have total confidence in the person you are seeing.

"I am afraid appearances have a lot to do with that."