Number on mixed-sex wards trebles in 2 years
More than 9,000 patients have been forced to sleep in mixedsex wards in the last 12 months, figures reveal.
The number has almost trebled in two years despite repeated Government promises to end the scandal.
Last month, a total of 908 patients were put on mixed- sex wards, an average of 205 a week.
This is the second highest rate since october – only January was worse at 1,036 patients.
Ministers had promised to abolish the ‘wards of shame’ in 2010 following a long-running Daily Mail campaign.
experts say they are dehumanising and frightening for patients, particularly the elderly or those from certain religions.
Previous Labour and Tory governments had pledged to tackle the issue since the early 1990s.
But although the number of patients sleeping in the wards fell after 2010, they have since climbed to a five-year high.
Many hospitals are so full that patients are being put wherever there is a bed, regardless of whether it is a ward for the other sex.
Figures published by NHS england yesterday show there
Scandal: Ministers pledged to end mixed-sex wards in 2010 were 9,004 mixed- sex ‘ breaches’ patients being forced to stay in in the last year including 908 in mixed-sex wards. Men and women the last month. should never have to share hospi
This compares to 5,830 for the tal wards, it’s an affront to basic same period in 2015/16 and just human dignity. 3,309 in 2014/15. ‘The Conservatives once pledged
A breach refers to one patient to end mixed- sex wards, now it sleeping in a ward intended for seems they’ve given up. the opposite sex for one night. ‘It’s time to end the continued Intensive care or high dependency underfunding of the NHS and care units do not count. that is putting intolerable pres
Liberal Democrat health spokessure on services and leading to man Norman Lamb said: ‘Under these sorts of failures. Theresa May’s watch, we’ve seen ‘The Government must recoma scandalous rise in the number of mit to closing mixed- sex wards instead of turning a blind eye.’ Labour health spokesman Justin Madders MP said: ‘Theresa May’s first year as Prime Minister has been characterised by a collapse in patient standards, with hospital bursting at the seams and wards overstretched.
‘This latest unprecedented failure on mixed-sex wards has left thousands more patients humiliated and lacking the basic dignity and respect they expect when being treated in hospital.
‘Shockingly, the Prime Minister even abandoned her party’s mani- festo commitment to eliminate mixed- sex accommodation breaches.
‘Unlike the Tories, Labour will end the unacceptable practice of mixed-sex wards and ensure our health service receives the funding it urgently needs.’
Former Tory Health Secretary Virginia Bottomley first promised to end mixed-sex wards in 1994, after a Daily Mail campaign.
The Labour government repeated the pledges in 1999 and 2002 before finally admitting the task was ‘unachievable’ in 2008.
Later, in 2010, the then Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said he would axe them by the end of the year.
A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘All patients deserve to be treated with dignity and respect while in the care of the NHS and men and women shouldn’t be forced to share hospital accommodation.
‘Whilst this month has seen slight increases, since 2010 mixedsex accommodation breaches are down from almost 12,000 a month to less than 1,000 in July this year.’
A spokesman for NHS Improvement, the hospital regulator, said: ‘While there are circumstances – such as the need to treat patients in an emergency – where patients might be in mixed wards or bays, the NHS is committed to continuing to reduce the number of patients treated in mixed-sex accommodation.
‘We expect that breaches are monitored at an organisational level and plans put in place to deal with the problem.
‘Any rise – no matter how small – in the number of people being treated in mixed-sex accommodation is obviously disappointing.’