Dignity of patients 'important' in Portsmouth as 17 people affected by single-sex ward breaches in one month

Data from NHS England revealed in November 2021 nationally there was the highest number of rule breaks mixing male and female patients together since records began 10 years prior.

Hospital trusts fell foul of the rules for ensuring single-sex provision 2,586 times that month. This equates to 1.4 breach per 1,000 people.

A spokeswoman for Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) told The News there were three breaches in November, affecting 17 patients.

She said: ‘The privacy and dignity of our patients is important, and we have a number of measures in place to prevent breaches of single-sex accommodation areas.

‘Despite the challenges of the pandemic and infection prevention and control measures, we have continued working hard to ensure patients feel respected. Any breaches are discussed with the individuals involved, as well as investigated internally.’

She added that the breaches related to incidents where patients came into the hospital with a ‘life-threatening’ emergency.

A rule breach, otherwise known as ‘unjustified mixing’, is recorded each time a patient is placed in sleeping accommodation with a member of the opposite sex where it cannot be justified by clinical need – for instance if they need to be admitted to critical care.

NHS England’s usual monthly report on rule breaches recorded by hospital trusts across the country was paused during Covid, but recently resumed.

Mixed-sex wards were banned in England in 2010 and a flat rate £250-per-rule-break fine was previously enshrined in the NHS Standard Contract but this was scrapped last year.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association advocacy group, said rule breaches may have been understandable during the emergency, if mixing sexes was ‘a viable route to saving lives.’

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She said: ‘Mixed sex wards are an affront to patients’ dignity, and outside of emergency conditions the NHS must be renewing efforts to eliminate them, not giving up.’

An NHS spokesman said: ‘While continuing to treat both Covid and non-Covid patients safely, trusts across the country are also taking action to reduce or eliminate breaches which remain extremely rare.

‘Offering single sex accommodation is a requirement under the NHS Standard Contract.’

Within Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust there were two breaches in November.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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