Your privacy and dignity is really important us, which is why you’ll be placed in a single sex bay when you stay at one of our hospitals.

However, there may be circumstances where it is deemed medically necessary for you to be in a mixed sex environment. For example, some areas do have mixed accommodation, such as wards with specialist equipment including:

• High Dependency Unit (HDU)
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
• Coronary Care Unit (CCU)

Where we provide single sex accommodation, toilet facilities are close by and clearly signposted, without having to go through other areas of the ward or department.

We confirm that our patient accommodation complies with national same sex accommodation standards.

Every patient has the right to receive high quality care that is safe, effective and respects their privacy and dignity.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust is pleased to confirm that we are compliant with the Government’s requirement to eliminate mixed sex accommodation; with the exception of situations where it is in the patients overall best interest or reflects their personal choice.

We have the necessary facilities, resources and culture to ensure that patients who are admitted to our hospitals will only share the room where they sleep with other patients of the same sex. Samesex toilet and bathroom facilities will be close to their bed area and clearly signposted. Sharing with members of the opposite sex will only happen when clinically necessary (for example where patients need specialist equipment such as intensive (ITU), high dependency (HDU) or coronary care (CCU)), or when patients choose to share, as for example in the children’s ward.

Unfortunately, there are times when patients who no longer require placement in a critical care area (ITU/HDU/CCU) may not be able to be moved to a general ward as promptly as we would like, due to bed availability. This means that these patients will remain in a mixed sex area until a ward bed becomes available. This will be considered a single sex accommodation breach if patients need to be cared for in this area overnight.

How do we measure success?

The Trust will continue to monitor same sex accommodation through our patient survey results and feedback from our patients, and will be constantly aware that staff need to uphold a culture whereby privacy and dignity are actively preserved. We will continue to monitor any mixed sex occurrences and report these as breaches to the Trust Board on a monthly basis. A detailed investigation will be undertaken on each breach.

I think I am in mixed sex accommodation - what can I do?

We want to know about your experiences and would invite comments and suggestions which are constructive and helpful in the drive to improve our services for patients and their families.

Please contact:

• Gary Etheridge, Deputy Chief Nurse on 01708 435 258 or Patient Advice and Liaison Service on 01708 435 454