§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked her Majesty's Government:
What is their definition of a mixed sex ward and a single sex ward; and [HL4784]
Whether each hospital trust or individual hospital is free to use its own criteria as to what constitutes a single sex ward or whether there are guidelines laid down which are to applied to all National Health Service hospitals; and [HL4785]
Whether, where mixed sex wards exist, patients are given the opportunity to refuse treatment in them in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Health; and [HL4786]
Whether inspections of hospitals are undertaken to assess the progress of eliminating mixed sex wards; and whether regular reports are made to Ministers on the results of those inspections; and [HL4787]
Whether all mixed sex wards in the National Health Service hospitals, other than intensive care units, will have been eliminated by 31 December 2002; and, if not, why not. [HL4788]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathWe have set a target of December 2002 for the provision of single sex accommodation in 95 per cent of trusts.
Guidance on maintaining privacy and dignity was first issued to the service in 1997 and since then trusts have been working towards clear targets to eliminate mixed sex accommodation.
There are three targets that trusts are working towards. These are:
ensuring that appropriate organisational arrangements are in place to secure good standards of privacy and dignity for hospital patients;
achieving fully the Patient's Charter standard for segregated washing and toilet facilities across the NHS;
providing safe facilities for patients in hospital who are mentally ill which safeguard their privacy and dignity.
Guidance is set out in EL(97)3 and EL(97)53. A monitoring tool was issued with HSC 1998/143. In addition, guidance on achieving single sex accommodation Enhancing Privacy and Dignity has been issued to the NHS, together with Health Building Notes and Design Guides HBM 4 In-patient accommodation—Options for Choice. The guidance provides NHS trusts with design solutions for new 16WA accommodation to meet the requirements of privacy, dignity and safety.
The Government define appropriate levels of privacy and dignity as being wards split into single sex bays, or single rooms, with associated single sex toilet facilities.
The majority of hospital wards are usually subdivided into bays and single rooms which are designated as male or female and are therefore able to care for men and women without compromising privacy and dignity. Each NHS trust will decide how to configure their wards to meet local needs and case mix demands and to reflect the design of the ward.
It is the responsibility of each NHS trust to manage patient admissions in such a manner as to ensure that patient privacy is protected. Guidance on maintaining patient privacy and dignity was issued to the service in 1997. This advises that patients are given the opportunity to request alternative accommodation where accommodation offered is shared by men and women. Where a patient refuses admission into hospital because of shared accommodation, a further admission date into appropriate segregated accommodation is offered.