11:50am Wednesday 14th May 2008
By Jane Lavender
ALMOST one in three patients at the Royal Bolton Hospital stayed on a mixed sex ward last year, despite bosses vowing to do all they could to keep people separate.
The survey, carried out by independent watchdog, The Healthcare Commission, revealed almost 30 per cent of patients had shared a ward with someone of the opposite sex.
In some hospitals, such as the Cardiac Centre in Liverpool, just five per cent of patients stayed in a mixed sex wards. But at the other end of the table, almost 50 per cent of patients being treated by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust were in a mixed sex ward.
Bosses at the Royal Bolton have defended their position, saying they comply with Department of Health guidelines and that only accident and emergency, the medical assessment unit, intensive care, the high dependency unit and coronary care unit are mixed.
Heather Edwards, head of communications at the hospital, said: "While we recognise that this issue is of concern to patients we would assure them that we do fully comply with Department of Health guidance."
A top judge blasted the Royal Bolton Hospital last year when pervert Dean Galley was convicted of sexually assaulting an 82-year-old woman, who was suffering from dementia, while they were in neighbouring beds in the medical assessment unit in June, 2007.
Judge Timothy Clayson described mixed sex wards as an "unacceptable risk".
Bolton's MPs agree more should be done to rid the hospital of mixed sex wards.
David Crausby, MP for Bolton North-east, said: "I don't think the NHS is doing enough as a whole to deal with mixed sex wards. I have never been in favour of them."
Bolton South-east MP, Dr Brian Iddon, added: "I'm not a fan of mixed sex wards and there should be more single sex wards. The hospital had assured me they were doing all the could around this issue so I'm surprised at this survey."
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