A mixed-sex ward is better than a trolley in A&E

A mixed-sex ward is better than a trolley in A&E When hospitals are stuffed to the rafters, it can be hard to maintain best practice. What matters is that the care is good and respectful

Nearly 2,000 patients slept in a mixed-sex ward in hospitals in England last month. It’s the highest figure since 2010 when the government pledged to wipe out the practice. So is it a national disgrace or a sensible response to winter pressures? Would you object to being in a mixed ward? Or just be pleased to get a bed at all if you needed one? Is it a gender issue or is sharing with either sex a ghastly thought?

A combination of factors are at play. Hospitals have fewer beds than last year, so they are less able to deal with the recent, ongoing surge in illness. Last week, for example, the bed occupancy rate at 17 of England’s 153 acute hospital trusts was 98% or more, with the fullest – Walsall healthcare trust – 99.9% occupied.

For me, gender is less of an issue than whether patients scream through the night or hurl abuse at staff Continue reading... The Guardian