James Duddridge, Member of Parliament for Rochford and Southend East, has welcomed new statistics showing the
Government is on track to end the scandal of mixed sex accommodation in hospitals where there is no clinical justification.
Across England as a whole, the number of patients unnecessarily treated in mixed sex accommodation has plummeted by 90 per cent, from 11,802 in December last year to just 1,126 in July.
Since coming to power, the Coalition has put in place a series of tough measures in order to eliminate unnecessary mixed sex accommodation:
There is now a consistent definition of a ‘breach’ of mixed sex accommodation, ensuring common standards are applied across the country.
Data on mixed sex accommodation breaches is now published on a monthly basis, ensuring trusts who are failing are named and shamed.
Hospitals which breach their obligations now face fines.
James said
‘Despite years of Labour promises, it took this Government to expose the scandal of mixed sex accommodation and put the plans in place to sort it out.
“In just eight months, the number of patients subject to this indignity has plummeted by 90 per cent. Single sex accommodation is now the norm in the NHS. But even though this progress is good, we are determined to go further. We want to put to an end once and for all mixed sex accommodation in the NHS.”
ENDS