Patient groups attack mixed-sex ward 'u-turn'

Patient groups attack mixed-sex ward 'u-turn'

Patients groups have reacted in anger to an announcement by health minister Lord Darzi that the provision of single sex wards in hospitals is not practical.

Labour's 1997 manifesto promised to work towards the elimination of mixed-sex wards, but Lord Darzi told the House of Lords that the government was committed to providing single sex accommodation in hospitals, rather than single sex wards.

"Our guidance requires the provision of single sex accommodation, not wards," he said. "This may mean single rooms or single sex bays within a mixed ward as well as single sex wards."

A spokeswoman for the Patients Association said: "10 years ago patients were told single sex wards would be possible, and it was a manifesto commitment. Now the ground rules may be changing but the problem is still there for patients of all ages who ask for nothing more than a safe NHS where ‘dignity and respect is at the heart' - to quote Lord Darzi himself.

"Patients have no guarantee 10 years on that anyone will do anything to achieve this. This is throwing in the towel. If the NHS couldn't stick to the earlier commitment, why should patients believe anything will change with these new words?"

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat shadow health secretary, said the statement by Lord Darzi was "an astonishing admission of failure"

"The government has flip-flopped on this manifesto commitment for over 10 years," he said.

29 January 2008 Breaking News Health Insurance Magazine