NHS breaks mixed-sex wards rules 44,000 times in a year with patients at risk of humiliation and assault

Recent figures from NHS England reveal nearly 5,000 breaches in February of strict rules against mixed sex wards. Safety and privacy concerns arise with this high number, which is nearly the highest level in a decade, following evidence of sexual assaults on mixed mental health wards. Pressures on the NHS, including high bed occupancy and delays in discharging patients, are blamed. The Department for Health and Social Care plans to update guidance on mixed-sex accommodation.