ESNEFT breached single-sex ward rules almost 1,000 times

NHS England data shows the rule was broken 981 times in the six months to March at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

The figures relate to patients at hospitals the trust operates in Colchester, Harwich, Clacton and Ipswich.

ESNEFT’s deputy chief nurse for quality Anne Rutland said “extra steps to maintain the dignity of patients” are taken in mixed sex areas.

Rule breach – Colchester Hospital (Image: Newsquest)

But Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “Mixed sex wards are an affront to patients’ dignity.”

Hospitals have been expected to eliminate mixed sex wards – except in justified situations such as in intensive care – since 2010.

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Yet incidents have increased since the Covid pandemic, with none recorded in the six months to March 2019.

In April 2021, a policy to fine trusts a blanket rate of £250 for each breach of the rules was dropped by the NHS.

Mixing – ESNEFT recorded almost 1,000 incident of mixing sexes on its hospital wards (Image: PA)

Ms Rutland said the trust’s hospitals use side rooms “as much as possible” to protect dignity.

“Our teams work very hard to make sure patients are cared for in same sex areas and we achieve this for our patients in our inpatient wards,” she continued.

“However, in our assessment units, where patients are assessed and cared for before being admitted to a specialty ward, we cannot always adhere to same-sex areas.

“We will always prioritise the safety and clinical needs of patients, and when we do care for patients in mixed-sex areas we take extra steps to maintain the dignity of patients.

Dignity – concerns have been raised about patients’ dignity at ESNEFT hospitals (Image: Archant)

“We use side rooms as much as possible, and we offer same-sex toilet and changing facilities.”

The region’s hospitals have faced skyrocketing pressure since the pandemic and, more recently, as a result of strike action.

At ESNEFT, the single-sex ward rule was broken 198 times in March this year alone.

Given an estimated number of finished consultant episodes of 21,560 in the month, it meant the trust had a breach rate of about 9.2 per 1,000 treatments.

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