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Same sex accommodation

WardEvery patient has the right to receive high quality care that is safe, effective and respects their privacy and dignity. University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is committed to providing every patient with same sex accommodation, because it helps to safeguard their privacy and dignity when they are often at their most vulnerable.

Declaration of compliance for 2014/2015

University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is able to confirm compliance with the Government's requirement to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation, except when it is in the patient's overall best interest.

Our aim is to 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. Sharing with members of the opposite sex will only happen when clinically necessary (for example where patients need specialist equipment such as in intensive care and high dependency areas), or when patients actively choose to share (for instance childrens wards). If our care should fall short of the required standard, we will report it through the Trust Board report.

Further information on our work to deliver same sex accommodation

Patients admitted to University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in future can expect to find the following:

  • The room where your bed is will only have patients of the same sex as you
  • Your toilet and bathroom will be just for your gender, and will be close to your bed area

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.

You may share some communal space, such as day rooms or dining rooms, and it is very likely that you will see both men and women patients as you move around the hospital (eg on your way to X-ray or the operating theatre).

It is probable that visitors of the opposite gender will come into the room where your bed is, and this may include patients visiting each other.

It is almost certain that both male and female nurses, doctors and other staff will come into your bed area.

If you need help to use the toilet or take a bath (eg you need a hoist or special bath) then you may be taken to a unisex bathroom used by both men and women, but a member of staff will be with you, and other patients will not be in the bathroom at the same time.

The NHS will not turn patients away just because a right-sex bed is not immediately available.

In all future developments a high standard of privacy and dignity, including same sex accommodation is included as a standard.  The Trust will constantly monitor how well we are delivering care in same sex accommodation and will continue to make ongoing improvements.