Fix it, Sajid

It was right to ban mixed sex wards in 2010 in order to preserve the dignity of patients.

So it is utterly wrong that, 12 years later, there have been more than 13,000 incidents since October in which men and women were made to share the same hospital space.

Under normal circumstances that would run up £250 fines for each breach – but that was suspended during the pandemic.

The last thing we would want to see is the NHS deprived of money. God knows, it struggles on the little it has.

And of course we appreciate the pressures which hospitals are under. It is not the fault of overstretched staff when the choice is between a mixed ward or no bed.

But it is the responsibility of Sajid Javid to get a grip. He never tires of telling us how hard he is working to clear the NHS backlog.

The Health Secretary should now work a bit harder so that patients can be treated in the dignified conditions they deserve.