Single Sex Accommodation

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to eliminating mixed sex accommodation and protecting the privacy, dignity and safety of our patients.  There are exceptions made in certain situations, where it is in the patients overall best interest or reflects their personal choice.

Moving a patient out of a mixed sex accommodation area should not pose a risk to patient safety or have a negative impact on their clinical care. Sharing with members of the opposite sex will only happen when clinically necessary (for example where patients need specialist equipment such as intensive (ITU), high dependency (HDU) or coronary care (CCU) units.

Patients will not be moved from a mixed sex area until all investigations and nursing tasks are completed to ensure the safety of our patients in the receiving area. If there are factors that may pose a risk to our patients, for example, inability to provide enhanced care or specialist equipment not available, remaining in a mixed sex area may be justified and LTHT provide clear guidance on this.

Some patients may prefer to be in a mixed sex area, as for example in children’s or young people’s services. People under the age of 18 have the choice of whether care is segregated according to age or gender. Delivering same-sex accommodation for transgender people is managed in a respectful patient centred manner, and they are accommodated according to their presentation and wishes. Non-binary individuals will also be asked discreetly about their preferences.

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 other patients of the same sex. Same sex toilet and bathroom facilities will be close to their bed area, clearly signposted and members of the opposite sex should not pass through other gender bays.

Here at LTHT we are an open and honest trust. We strive to ensure we are communicating to the patients and the public our commitment to reducing mixed sex accommodation breaches.  If our care should fall short of the required standard, we will report it. Compliance within LTHT is continuously monitored, and regular improvement reports and meetings are held to ensure actions are being taken to work towards eliminating mixed sex accommodation. 

April 2023