NHS patients raise privacy fears as mixed wards persist

NHS PATIENTS are increasingly dissatisfied with the level of privacy afforded to them in hospital, a report has revealed, after repeated government failures to close mixed-sex wards.

A patient-led study assessing the non-clinical aspect of NHS care shows that scores in the area of “privacy, dignity and wellbeing” have decreased by 4 per cent since 2014.

The revelation follows a long standing pledge to close mixed-sex hospital wards being dropped by the Conservatives, despite it appearing in both their 2015 and 2010 manifestos. Figures published earlier this year showed that the number of patients who had to endure mixed-sex hospital wards had trebled in two years. Almost 8,000 patients were treated in shared accommodation in the 12 months to March – a rise from 2,655 in 2014-15. NHS rules say men and women should be treated on different wards.

The study follows pledges from the Conservatives to end the practice, with four manifesto promises. Hospitals must now pay out up to £250 for every mixed-sex breach – defined as a night spent by a patient on a mixed-sex ward.

The latest assessments of NHS care, published by NHS Digital, show that the average national privacy, dignity and wellbeing scores have decreased in acute/specialist sites, mixed service sites and treatment centres since last year. The largest decline in score was for mixed service facilities, where there was a 3 per cent decrease. Teams looked at care at 279 organisations, including 222 NHS trusts and 57 voluntary, independent or private healthcare providers.

Organisations were also rated for their choice of food, 24-hour availability, meal times and access to menus and scored an average of 88.8 per cent – 1.8 percentage points higher than in 2016.