Mixed-sex wards--the NT survey results

The practice of rigidly separating men and women in hospital has broken down in recent years; the RCN estimates that half of all acute hospital wards are now mixed. In January, NT invited readers to give their opinions on mixing males and females in the same wards and to describe their own areas of work. Chief areas of concern that emerged were: patients not being informed about the ward being mixed before admission; lack of privacy (especially in bathroom and lavatory areas); and in patients' unhappiness with the proximity of patients of the opposite sex. Although complaints were common, most were informal. Further research, preferably from a 'neutral' source, is needed.