Your privacy, our responsibility
Privacy, dignity & same sex accommodation
We are committed to making sure that all our patients receive high-quality care that is safe, effective and focused on their needs. The NHSConstitution states that all patients have the right to privacy and to be treated with dignity and respect. We believe that providing same sex accommodation is an effective way of helping to achieve this goal and of giving all service users the best possible experience while they are in hospital.
Single sex accommodation is defined as separate sleeping areas for men and women, segregated bathroom and toilet facilities for men and women and, in those trusts providing mental health services, safe facilities for the mentally ill.
This can take a number of forms within the Trust. Same sex accommodation can be provided in:
- same sex or single sex wards, where the whole ward is occupied by men or women only
- single rooms, or
- mixed wards, where men and women are in separate bays or rooms.
From 31 March 2010 all trusts were required to publish statements to confirm that they have virtually eliminated mixed-sex accommodation.
It is possible that there will be both men and women patients on the ward, but they will not share your sleeping area. You may have to cross a ward corridor to reach your bathroom, but you will not have to walk through opposite-sex areas.
How we are doing
Considerable investment has gone in to improving the service user experience of inpatient services within LPFT. There have been a number of capital works in the last year – (redecoration, improved signage; privacy film on windows and doors; new windows, bathroom refurbishment, fixed partitions in bed areas; new furniture and greater provision of same sexed accommodation) to promote the delivery of same sex accommodation and privacy and dignity.
Trust compliance
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is pleased to confirm that we are compliant with the Government’s requirement to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation, except when it is in the patient’s overall best interest, or reflects their personal choice. We have the necessary facilities, resources and culture to ensure that patients who are admitted to our hospitals will only share the room where they sleep with members of the same sex, and same-sex toilets and bathrooms will be close to their bed area.
If our care should fall short of the required standard, we will report it.
We have also set up an audit mechanism to make sure that we do not misclassify any of our reports. We will publish the results of that audit on the Trust website.
