Mixed Sex Beds in Hospitals

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For several years there has been much media attention and professional pressure regarding the use of mixed sex wards. Much of the controversy has been fuelled by the Labour government’s manifesto commitment to abolish mixed sex beds, which they finally conceded was an impossible task early in 2008. However, much of the available fiction, and most of the more inciting press coverage, actually relates to inpatient areas with overnight accommodation, especially the more vulnerable groups, such as those with mental health problems and the elderly. In 2009 the National Health Service (NHS) set a commitment to eliminate mixed accommodation in hospital as part of their commitment to improvement of privacy and dignity of patient (BBC health, 2009). Meanwhile, the report of department of health in 2009 shows that, 99% of trust says they are providing the same sex accommodation and 97% same sex toilet and washing area, but nearly a quarter of patient still complain of being in a mixed sex area when they where first admitted to hospital (BBC health, 2009). In the first quarter of the year 2010, the National Health Service organisation reported over 8,000 trusts that were unsuccessful in implementing single sex accommodation without clinical justification (Blackman, S. 2010). These new information has led the 2010 elected coalition government to take action to finally make mixed accommodations a thing of past in England. Form 2011 health trust which are not performing well and do not comply with the rule will be named public (Blackman, S. 2010). Additional to this, Andrew Lansley health secretary in his comment laid out the changes. ‘‘National Health Service will have clear standard in the future, spelling out when they should report a b...

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...dation, but on extra beds as well (Blackman, S. 2010). In October 2010 it was reported that women were force to give birth in waiting area with less or more than temporary screen to protect their privacy (Blackman, S. 2010). The psychological benefit of nursing patient of together has been revealed in many donors who are partner or parent and therefore may be opposite gender. Patient views are sought to help trust prove the clinical need of exclusion for this group.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that same accommodation is not always appropriate when it comes to hospitals and there are many cases where it is clinically acceptable to place patient in a mixed sex accommodation (Blackman, S. 2010). Mixed sex accommodation is slowly fading away from the UK and total elimination will depends on the efficiency of new government initiatives (Blackman, S. 2010).

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