Mixed-sex wards are still a nightmare

A mixed-sex ward means that men and women patients will be allocated in the same room. Many people are uneasy about mixed sex wards. Women and the elderly in particularly feel vulnerable and indignity of being forced to share rooms with people of the opposite sex together. Female patients are worried about a lack of privacy and a risk of sexual assault.

The government pledged to scrap mixed-sex wards when it came to power in 1997. However, some people say the mixed sex wards problem has been still existed in some NHS hospitals until now. According to Patient Association, an increasing number of patients think they have been in mixed sex wards. The number of complaints to their helpline has more than doubled to 50 phone calls in the previous 12 months.

"Most wards in most hospitals do now provide single-sex accommodations and single-sex bathrooms.” Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said. However, in some cases, hospitals that claim they are meeting the target on single-sex rooms simply put up screens or curtains between beds occupied by men and women. In order to release their anxiety,the NHS hospitals should make more efforts to scrap mixed-sex wards.
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