Same-sex accommodation
Delivering same-sex accommodation - Declaration of compliance
Mixed sex accommodation has been virtually eliminated in both our hospitals.
We are pleased to confirm our compliance with the Government’s requirement to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation, except when it is in the patient’s overall best interest, or is their personal choice. Our facilities, resources and culture ensures that our patients only share the room they sleep in with members of the same sex, with same-sex toilets and bathrooms close by. Sharing with the opposite sex will only happen when clinically necessary (e.g. patients need specialist equipment such as in Intensive Care Unit and Coronary Care Unit, or when patients actively choose to share).
If our care should fall short of the required standard, we will report it. We will also set up an audit mechanism to make sure that we do not misclassify any of our reports. We will publish the results of that audit on our website.
What is same sex accommodation?
London's strategic health authority, NHS London, defines single-sex accommodation as:
- Single-sex wards (i.e. whole ward occupied by either men or women, not both)
- Single rooms with adjacent single-sex toilet and washing facilities
- Single-sex accommodation within mixed wards (i.e. bays or rooms that accommodate either men or women, not both, with designated single-sex toilet and washing facilities, preferably within or adjacent to the bay or room)
What you should expect
For routine, planned admissions, patients can expect to stay in same-sex bay accommodation. There may be situations when the need to provide highly specialised care takes priority over segregation to ensure you are in the safest clinical environment for your care. We review wards and specialist departments throughout each 24-hour period to ensure we are complying with the Department of Health guidance.
Should you require care in mixed-sex accommodation we will explain why to you and your relatives or carers and we will ensure your dignity is respected at all times. Once your condition has improved and we believe it is safe to transfer you, we will make every effort to place you in a same-sex bay on the appropriate ward for your medical condition.