HC Deb 08 March 2000 vol 345 c760W
Mr. Norman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS hospitals offering full acute services which have(a) mixed sex wards and (b) shared toilets; and what targets he has set for the NHS to eliminate mixed sex wards. [113152]

Mr. Denham

The data collected on mixed sex hospital accommodation are at health authority level and do not contain detailed information about the position in National Health Service trusts. We have set three specific objectives for the NHS in order to achieve the elimination of mixed sex accommodationEnsure that appropriate organisational arrangements are in place to secure good standards of privacy and dignity for hospital patients; Achieve fully the standard for segregated washing and toilet facilities across the NHS; Provide safe facilities for patients in hospital who are mentally ill which safeguard their privacy and dignity.

We aim to achieve these objectives fully in 95 per cent. of all health authorities by 2002.

The results of a monitoring exercise published in August 1999 showed that 93 per cent. of health authorities would achieve the objectives by 2002.

Mr. Norman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospitals providing full acute services have wards which do not reach the HBN 4 minimum stipulation for(a) bed space in multi-bedded wards and (b) ratio of toilets to patients in 24 bed wards. [113158]

Mr. Denham

The information requested is not collected centrally.