Mixed Wards

Mr. Lansley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS wards do not currently have single-sex accommodation.

Ms Rosie Winterton
The information is not available in the format requested.

Between 1998 and 2005, the provision of single-sex accommodation was measured as compliance at national health service trust level with three objectives set by the Department. These objectives have been superseded by the core national standards presented in standards for better health.

The core standards require that:

(C13) “Staff treat patients, their relatives and carers with dignity and respect”; and

(C20b) “Health care services are provided in environments which promote effective care and optimize health outcomes by being... supportive of patient privacy and confidentiality”.

Currently, five trusts report that they do not meet standard C13a and 15 trusts report that they do not meet standard C20b.

Previously, compliance was measured annually at trust level. The results of the most recent compliance survey in December 2004 show that:

99 per cent. of NHS trusts provided single-sex sleeping accommodation for planned admissions and had robust operational policies in place to protect patients’ privacy and dignity;

99 per cent. of NHS trusts met the additional criteria set to ensure the safety of patients who are mentally ill; and

97 per cent. of NHS trusts provided properly segregated bathroom and toilet facilities for men and women.

The small number of hospitals who did not achieve these objectives are building new hospitals.

The 2004 position of each NHS trust was published on 26 May 2005 and is available on the Department’s website at www.dh.gov.uk and in the Library.