Number of NHS patients placed onto mixed-sex wards reaches all-time high of nearly 5,000

A record of nearly 5,000 individuals were placed on mixed-sex wards in the NHS in January, the highest figure since the government robustly addressed this issue. These wards, termed ‘wards of shame’, were intended to be phased out in 2010. Despite this, data shows a rising trend, partly due to the pressures due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Previously, a £250 fine per infringement was levied, but this was abolished in April 2020.