HC Deb 08 January 2002 vol 377 cc621-2W
Ms Shipley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress he has made to eradicate mixed sex wards in the hospitals which serve Stourbridge constituents. [20369]

Ms Blears

We have set three specific objectives to meet our manifesto commitment to eliminate mixed sex accommodation in 95 per cent. of health authorities by the end of 2002

  1. 1) Ensuring that appropriate organisational arrangements are in place to secure good standards of privacy and dignity for hospital patients;
  2. 2) Achieving fully the Patient's Charter standard for segregating washing and toilet facilities across the NHS; and
  3. 3) Providing safe facilities for patients in hospital who are mentally ill which safeguard their privacy and dignity.

I am informed that the Dudley Group of Hospitals National Health Service Trust, which serves the majority of Stourbridge constituents, has achieved objectives 1 and 3 and will achieve objective 2 by the end of December 2001.