More patients in the East Midlands are finding that sleeping in same-sex bays and using same-sex bathrooms is now an everyday experience, according to a national NHS survey out today.
The Care Quality Commission’s 2009 survey of 69,000 inpatients across the country has shown that the majority of patients, who stayed in an East Midlands hospital for more than one night, didn’t share sleeping areas or toilets and bathrooms with members of the opposite sex. On average hospital trusts in the East Midlands received a score of 84 out of 100* for questions put to patients on this subject.**
The figures are the result of the hard work of NHS staff in the region who have been striving to achieve the highest levels of privacy and dignity in patient care possible since the launch of a regional campaign in May 2009. The campaign, designed to raise awareness of what accommodation patients should expect in an NHS hospital, was developed following independent research which revealed that 75% of the East Midlands population believed that it is important for the NHS to provide same-sex accommodation.
As well as changes to wards, the campaign involved other improvements including better signage, improved communication between staff and patients, trust-led pilot projects such a hostess meet and greet service and information for the public in the form of posters and other written materials featuring real patients and their relatives giving their experiences.
Trusts have also carried out further surveys following the Inpatient Survey which reveal that patient experience in this area has continued to improve over the last three months. This commitment of NHS staff in the East Midlands to patients’ rights to privacy and dignity has been formalised recently by all of our trusts declaring that they have virtually eliminated mixed sex accommodation.
Said Julie Smith, Associate Director of Nursing & Patient Care at NHS East Midlands: “We are delighted that the results of the survey show there have been further improvements in delivering a better patient experience. However, the NHS in the East Midlands is committed to delivering same-sex accommodation for all of our patients and there are always improvements that can be made. This is why we will continue to focus on this area to ensure that patients are aware of the importance we place on their rights to be cared for with privacy and dignity.”
For further information on same-sex accommodation in the East Midlands, including a short film explaining what to expect when staying in a hospital in the region, visit http://www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk/health-campaigns/same-sex-accommodation/
