Patients and visitors attending some of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s outpatient areas next week will have the opportunity to find out more about same-sex accommodation.
The county’s mental health and learning disability service provider is taking part in the regional awareness week from 30 November to help people understand what same-sex accommodation is and how it could affect them, a family member or friend, if they are admitted to hospital.
Special information displays will be based at Psychiatric Outpatients at Queen’s Medical Centre, Millbrook Mental Health Unit at Kingsmill Hospital and Bassetlaw Mental Health Unit at Bassetlaw Hospital, where people can find out more, talk to a member of staff or pick up a leaflet.
Same-sex accommodation can be provided in:
- Same-sex wards ie the whole ward is occupied by men or women but not both
- Single rooms with adjacent same-sex toilets and washing facilities preferably en-suite
- Same-sex accommodation within mixed wards ie bays or rooms which accommodate either men or women, not both, with designated same-sex toilet and washing facilities preferably within or adjacent to the bay or room
- Patients should not need to pass through opposite sex accommodation or toilet and washing facilities to access their own.
Whilst Nottinghamshire Healthcare is fully compliant with the requirements of same-sex accommodation, it has used funding provided earlier this year by the Department of Health to further enhance privacy and dignity on its inpatient wards. These enhancements include new signage for sleeping, bathing and toilet areas on all in-patient wards, placing of opaque film on doors and windows to further enhance privacy, and repositioning and redesigning a number of toilet and bathroom facilities and shower rooms. There are also a number of Privacy and Dignity Champions to spread the message throughout wards across the Trust.
More about Nottinghamshire Healthcare's commitment to same-sex accommodation can be found here.
