To ask how you all feel about mixed sex loos and wards?

[Toorahtoorahaye]

Just in the past day or so there have been discussions on social media about the new NHS guidelines that allows patients to choose which sexed ward they feel most comfortable in reality making wards mixed sex. And today the Old Vic is also following the recent trend to make its loos mixed sex - mixed sex with urinals, mixed sex with with stalls and gender neutral loos. Just wondering how folk feel about the end of single sex wards and loos for mixed sex provision.

Personally I would feel very uncomfortable on a mixed sex ward - quite vulnerable. With loos I would just feel conscious that there would be pee on the floor.

Due to personal experience I would not use one. I’d rather rush home or just go somewhere with segregated loo’s. I don’t think it’s fair to assume everyone should use one

I am very, very uncomfortable with mixed sex wards.
I am less fussed about loos, but respect they are important to other women.

I personally couldn't care less.

However, I can see why other people would be uncomfortable with it.

I'd hate to be in a mixed sex ward.

I hate the idea.

Well if I walked into a toilet and there was a man with his dick out having a slash at the urinal. I would be horrified and walk straight back out.

I want single sex toilets and wards for women. I too would feel very vulnerable. I was having a miscarriage once, and was put on a mixed ENT ward. It was acutely embarrassing having nurses coming up and discussing what was happening, wanting to wash the blood off before I went to theatre, etc while in a bed, next to a man!

As far as I am concerned, the desires of trans people should not trump women's need to feel safe.

The last thing women would want when they are feeling ill and vulnerable is a dick swinging about the ward.

It’s a big no from me to mixed sex wards.

Not happy at all with mixed sex wards. I thought they'd stopped them? Well, I think they changed it so there are all male or all female bays on wards now? Perhaps they need to have an "others" option as well?

I would be uncomfortable with mixed sex toilets and wards.

Wards more so.

I don't really care.

Ugh no. I was on a mixed sex ward but in a private room because I was seriously ill once. A man kept staring at me when I got up to try and walk around a little and left my room. Trying to make eye contact and always looking up when I was walking in the corridor. There was something about him that made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I spoke to the ward sister about it who kept an eye on him but I couldn't lock my room door from the inside and didn't sleep that night. The next day he was discharged. Its horrible being made to feel like that when you're vulnerable and ill and the nursing staff can only do so much.

I am against mixed sexed wards apart from A and E wards and ITU wards; I felt uncomfortable enough in an acute admissions ward when a male patient kept walking through our bay and ogling my catheter bag.

Had problems with blokes following me down a corridor to the loosnon a night out, imagine if they get to come in too.

Absolutely not for hospitals. Someone said there are 100 pregnancies on mixed sex mental health wards a year. Unless they have floor to ceiling walls and a lockable door when I'm sleeping, not going to happen.

So how many women are actually going to say they feel more comfortable surrounded by men? And how many men will be happier surrounded by women.....hmmm let me think about that...

This is the Old Vic’s announcement. I much prefer single sex loos and wards myself but could unenthusiastically manage - though not keen being a lone woman in a loo with men I don’t know - or thinking of it - men I do know might be just as bad. What annoys further is that it sounds like the Old Vic have just put gender neutral on the old men’s loos (with urinals) and the women’s loos (with cubicles) which means in effect that men/boys can easily use both but women/girls will probably avoid the loo with urinals - making the queues for women/girls even longer than before. mobile.twitter.com/oldvictheatre/status/1179336786537005057

@Becles do you have a link for the quote about mix sexed ward pregnancies please in mental health units? Surely a high proportion of these are rape as the majority of patients in such ward are deemed to lack mental capacity?

I think it depends on the age range. From my experience as an NHS nurse, 90% of those staying on wards are older people. I think we need to consider how, for example, elderly ladies would feel in a bay on a ward with men. Albeit if they identify as female.

Its a generational thing, rather than whats acceptable in society today

Mixed sex wards are very common - I just spent a week in one. I would much rather have had single sex ward but I presume it just means too much inefficiency of resource. If it was up to me I’d put enough money in the system to allow proper single sex wards.

I've been on mixed sex wards for physical health quite a lot in the past when it was common and to be honest they never really bothered me as everyone was confined to their beds and we didn't mix.

However what I have found extremely difficult is being on mixed sex psychiatric wards. There is a hell of a lot of power play by men and lots of men targeting women physically or sexually. The worse was when the bedrooms were also on mixed corridors with shared bathrooms/shower rooms. I feel much safer and relaxed being on a single sex ward and best of all in a single sex hospital.

Absolute hard no. Females need these sex segregated spaces, no exceptions (certainly not for deluded men)..

I’ve only been on single sex wards, but found the partners of other women floating around the maternity ward uncomfortable. I felt so vulnerable.

Getting changed, changing pads and talking to midwives about my blood loss behind a translucent curtain while Gavin sits on his phone in the bay beside me isn’t an experience I’d be willing to repeat.

Toilets I’m a bit more “meh” about, especially if they’re those self contained floor to ceiling stalls. BUT me being reasonably comfortable with mixed sexed loos doesn’t negate the feelings of women who really need that single sex space.

No.

I prefer the “proper” gender neutral toilets ... that is a fully enclosed cubicle, with toilet, hand basin, hand dryer & mirror. We have them a work, you get about 8 cubicles leading out into a corridor. There is no opportunity to “walk in” on anyone, or be in a secluded space with someone or a different gender.
I prefer the fully enclosed space, I hate toilets with gaps at the top at bottom of the stall, no privacy at all.
You can’t just take the regular kind of set up, and make them gender neutral, you are just asking for trouble. If organisations are doing it, they need to invest the money & do it properly.