BOLTON health chiefs have come under fire over mixed sex wards.

Sir David Crausby MP has slammed the town’s NHS trust as the number of people left in mixed sex wards has more than doubled in 12 months.

Breaches occur when men and women end up sharing a ward when they should be in single sex accommodation. After requesting updated figures from the Government, Sir David described the increase at Royal Bolton Hospital as both ‘dramatic’ and ‘shocking’.

He said: “Whilst I understand the difficulties the NHS faces these days from a financial point of view, same sex wards in hospitals are an absolute priority.

“I’m really disappointed there was breaching, it really isn’t good enough.”

Sir David said it was vital the issues were addressed and has requested a meeting with the heads of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust to find out how how they are addressing the issues.

The Bolton North MP lobbied for the elimination of mixed sex wards, except for when it was in the best interest of the patient or personal choice.

While the number of wards dropped and breaches decreased, Government figures have revealed a national increase since 2014, with 5,5595 reported cases between January and July this year.

Sir David added: “We have had promises to do something about mix sex wards as long as I’ve been a member of parliament. For this still to be happening in 2017 has really frustrated me.”

Between October 2016 and September this year there were 168 reported mixed sex ward breaches at Royal Bolton, compared to 68 in the previous 12 months.

There were even fewer breaches in previous years, with 14 between October 2014 and September 2015 and just eight in the 12 months before then.

Four breaches occurred in October, with the trust blaming capacity issues. There are only two mixed sex wards in Bolton, the high dependency unit and the intensive care unit.

All breaches in the last 12 months have occurred in these wards when there has been a delay in transferring a patient on to a single sex ward.

Chief operating officer Andy Ennis said: “Due to the very nature of these wards, and the severity of the illness in the patients being cared for in these areas, it is sometimes necessary to breach the set criteria for mixed sex accommodation.

“We would always take the decision to keep a patient on one of these wards, prioritising their safety, and breach the target as a result. Whilst we acknowledge that mixed sex breaches should not occur, we prioritise patient safety and the risk of harm to patients, and will continue to do so during busy times throughout the winter months.”