New rules giving patients greater dignity during their stay in hospital are coming into force. From today, Thursday April 1st 2010, patients must be accommodated in areas used only by members of the same sex, with some justifiable exceptions on clinical grounds.

The issue has been discussed by members of NHS Norfolk’s Board yesterday (Wednesday, March 31), who welcomed the changes and acknowledged the efforts made by local hospitals to prepare for the new rules.

The NHS Constitution says patients “have the right to be treated with dignity and respect”. NHS Norfolk is advising patients that it operates a patients help and advice line which patients can call in case of concerns or questions.

NHS Norfolk’s Chief Nurse, Maureen Carson, said: “Spending time in hospital can be stressful for both patients and their families but the new arrangements will provide greater dignity for patients.”

Same-sex accommodation can be provided in:
– Same-sex wards, where the whole ward is occupied by men or women only
– Single rooms
– Mixed wards, where men and women are in separate bays or rooms.

Patients should not have to pass directly through opposite-sex areas to reach their own facilities, nor should they be able to look into opposite sex rooms. Men and women should not have to share mixed bathing and WC facilities, unless they need specialised equipment such as hoists or specialist baths.

Importantly, patients can expect to be treated by clinical staff of either sex. All members of hospital staff are permitted to work in, walk through or look into any wards regardless of gender as part of their professional duties.

Maureen Carson said: “Patients have the right to same-sex accommodation. My advice to patients who feel they are not receiving same-sex accommodation is to raise this immediately with ward staff.

“Patients, relatives and carers can also call NHS Norfolk’s Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) to report any breaches of the rules and the circumstances of their call will be investigated thoroughly.”

Acute NHS hospital care in the NHS Norfolk area is provided at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn. Community hospital care is provided by Norfolk Community Health and Care and NHS mental health care is provided by the Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Partnership Trust. All have worked hard to prepare for the new rules, they have assured NHS Norfolk they are ready and they are obliged to publish a declaration of compliance on their websites.

NHS Norfolk has also worked closely with the patients champion organisation Norfolk Local Involvement Network. Chairman of Norfolk LINk, Patrick Thompson, said: “This moves goes towards making the patient experience far more acceptable in providing dignity and respect in what can be at times very stressful.

“Norfolk LINk has worked hard with its members and the NHS Trusts to ensure the whole experience of a hospital stay is as comfortable and respectful as possible and we welcome this.

“Norfolk LINk will continue to work in all areas of patient welfare across the NHS and Social Care. We also welcome the comments from NHS Norfolk on ensuring that this is high on the agenda for patient care across Norfolk.”

Research carried out by the NHS in preparation for same sex accommodation showed women, and elderly women in particular, were most likely to worry about being in mixed-sex accommodation, although male patients also said that they feel reluctant to talk openly and found it embarrassing to be in a mixed-sex setting. Some patients are also strongly opposed to mixed-sex accommodation for cultural or religious reasons.

Most people accept that in some situations there is no alternative to men and women sharing accommodation. This includes situations where patients need urgent, highly specialised or high-tech care. When making this decision, staff must make sure that it is in the interests of all patients affected, and work to move patients into same-sex accommodation as quickly as possible.

To contact Norfolk PALS (Patient Advice & Liaison Service) phone free on 0800 587 4132 or 07500 990815. Email: [email protected] or fax 01603 257299

For more information on same sex accommodation, log on to:
www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/samesexaccommodation