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

Instances of men and women sharing hospital wards in the UK has nearly reached its highest level in a decade, with nearly 5,000 breaches of the rule against it occurring in February alone. NHS leaders have voiced concerns over these breaches, and warn that care that was previously “unthinkable” may become the new standard. The UK government outlawed mixed-sex wards in the NHS in 2010, with only a few exceptions allowed, such as critical care admissions.