NHS England has recorded more than 120,000 breaches of its mixed-sex hospital accommodation guidance in the past six years, a 257% increase, according to data analysed by the Observer. The guidance, added to the NHS constitution in 2012, states that hospital patients should not share sleeping accommodation with the opposite sex except where appropriate, such as in critical care or chemotherapy wards.
The data shows thousands of breaches every month, with patient dignity and safety compromised. Between July 2017 and July 2023, 126,404 incidents were reported, rising from 899 in July 2017 to 3,211 in July this year. The true figure is likely higher, as data collection was paused from March 2020 to September 2021 during the pandemic.
Caitlin, a former worker on an acute mental health ward, described how the switch from women-only to mixed beds left female patients fearful. “Women on our ward often had a history of sexual or domestic abuse,” she said. “A lot of them felt intimidated by the level of aggression shown by some men on the ward.” She added that some women stayed in their rooms to avoid communal areas, hindering their recovery.
Karen Ingala-Smith, author of Defending Women’s Spaces, said: “Women should not have to be on their guard like this when they are in hospital.” Last month, Health Secretary Steve Barclay announced a ban on transgender patients being accommodated in single-sex wards, a move criticised by LGBTQ+ advocates. Paul Martin of the LGBT Foundation described the plan as “morally wrong and ethically indefensible”.
An NHS spokesperson said trusts are taking action to reduce breaches, which remain rare. However, breaches have not fallen below 1,000 per month since October 2017, with 41,182 recorded in 2022/23 and 13,654 in the first four months of this financial year.
