HL Deb 30 January 1997 vol 577 cc1249-51

3.30 p.m.

Baroness Hayman asked Her Majesty's Government:

Following the Secretary of State for Health's announcement of 27th January concerning mixed sex wards, what proportion of current National Health Service in-patients are not entitled to a choice of single sex accommodation under the Patient's Charter provisions because they were admitted as emergency patients.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)

My Lords, 42.6 per cent. of admissions are emergency admissions. We do not know how many of those were placed in mixed sex wards but believe the number to be small.

Baroness Hayman

My Lords, is it not correct that that figure is the number of emergency admissions overall rather than of in-patients? If we take away the day cases, the vast majority of patients admitted to hospital are emergencies. Last year around 4 million in-patients were admitted as emergencies as against 2 million planned admissions. Is it not correct that emergency patients have no rights whatever to choose single sex accommodation under the Patient's Charter? Therefore, is not the Secretary of State's announcement this week yet another example of cynically raising patients' expectations and claiming to be taking action without properly planning or resourcing what will need to be done to give patients dignity and privacy?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, I do not want to enter into a debate on the figures. Around half of all admissions are emergencies. The action taken by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State needed to be taken. We expected health authorities and trusts to take the issue seriously when the Patient's Charter was first published. Clearly they had a whole list of priorities and this issue did not come as high on the list as we felt it should. The Secretary of State therefore took action through the NHS chief executive. The Government have a proud record on resources in the health service. There has been huge investment. We have the Prime Minister's commitment that year on year on year on year on year, for five years, extra money will go into the National Health Service. That pledge has not been matched by the Benches opposite.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

My Lords, it would be churlish of me not to welcome the latest initiative by the Minister's right honourable friend the Secretary of State on the matter of mixed sex wards. However, can the noble Baroness give an assurance that those patients who are admitted under the emergency procedures will be transferred without delay to single sex wards? Can she further assure us that those hospitals which find it financially difficult, for various reasons, to meet the standards set out by the Secretary of State in relation to single sex and mixed sex wards will be given additional resources to enable them to do so?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, we would certainly wish that once a patient has been admitted as an emergency and then goes into a normal ward—if I may so express it—that patient's choice should be respected. Over the Christmas period I had to take my father into hospital at midnight. He was placed in an emergency ward. When I asked him afterwards whether he had been in a mixed sex ward, he could not tell me. He denied that he had been in such a ward. He did not notice that there was an extremely attractive young lady in the bed next to him. However, that may be on account of his age and his eyesight.

As regards emergencies, there is not a strong issue. People just want to be dealt with. When it comes to staying longer, that is an important issue. As to resources, we would not ring-fence for this specific purpose. We give more money to the health service every year and it is for local trusts and health authorities to set their priorities.

Baroness Masham of Ilton

My Lords, is the Minister aware that many patients admitted as emergencies are elderly? Does she agree that they sometimes become extremely confused, especially at night, and clamber into each other's beds causing great embarrassment and distress?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, I suspect it depends on how much energy they have and how much determination. But the noble Baroness is right. Elderly people are admitted and it is inappropriate for them to be in mixed sex wards. That is something with which we strongly agree, and that is why we are taking the action we are.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

My Lords, is the Minister aware that, since the Secretary of State made his announcement at the beginning of this week, I have received reports that health authorities are still planning new mixed sex wards? I have heard from Wiltshire where the Westbury Hospital says in a press report that it is planning to open mixed sex wards. Does not that give rise to the overall question of what powers the Government have to insist that hospitals follow their so-called instructions on the matter? Is it not, frankly, a bit of pre-election public relations designed to improve the image of the Government without doing anything for patients on the ground?

Baroness Cumberlege

My Lords, we come back to the question: what is a mixed sex ward? Those noble Lords who have recently visited newly-built hospitals will recognise that wards may consist of bays which are very private. It is appropriate to have four people of the same sex within the bay, but the collective number of bays will be called a "ward". I have not looked at the design of the hospital mentioned, but I would be surprised if that was not the format being followed. Many people with learning disabilities or who are mentally ill live during the day in a normal family atmosphere but at night have separate sleeping accommodation. That too is called a "ward". It may therefore be a question of terminology.