Mixed sex gastro ward

[lumpy76]

Aibu or is a mixed sex gastro ward not ok? Our 17yr old ds is being treated on an adult gastro ward where there are bays and rooms which are right next to each other. The bays are single sex but of course visitors and patients have to walk past them all to get to toilets and showers and on and off the ward. Our son has been exceptionally mature and despite being treated for severe colitis hasn't let it bother him. Many of the patients have dementia. However, when visiting tonight my DH has to walk past a poor old lady on the toilet with the door wide open. Now of course he could have been visiting a female ward and seen this but in general just the lack of dignity offered patients, many with dementia doesn't sit well with me. I thought there had been a directive brought in to end mixed sex wards?

Mixed sex wards are normal in NHS hospitals, only the individual bays have to be single sex. Most hospitals aren’t big enough to have a male gastro wad AND a female one.

I see - thanks for the clarification.

I don't really know about mixed sex wards, fortunately I have never had experience with one. I do agree with you about patient dignity as my little brother was recently in hospital and as there were no beds six patients including my brother were left for more than 8 hours in the hall in hospital beds.
most of them elderly and some hardly dressed. was horrendous

Mind you the ward is rammed and it took 24 hours to get Ds a bed on it - given the number of people there is definitely justification in the hospital DS is in!

Well I have been in gastro wards in the past and all been single sex, the only part was mixed was places like the assessment area (big ward like A & E) so no, it's not normal in our local hospital

@Cherylshaw yes Ds spent the night in a bed in A&e - Tbf they did find him a room in majors and an actual bed so I wouldn't complain at all about DSs treatment. He has been treated very very well. The organisation of wards, which is a management issue and NHS issue is my concern.

@Orangeblossom78 that's interesting this is a pretty large hospital in a smallish city. So it doesn't seem down to managements decision on structure.

Sorry - *does seem to be down to how the management decide to structure the wards.

I spend long periods on gastro wards. Same sex bays but mixed wards are completely normal. I've never seen otherwise. In ICI it's worse because it's a room with both sexes.

Totally normal.

@Walnutwhipster sorry you have to spend regular periods on a ward. Would you prefer single sex?

I would much prefer single sex. Having been bed bound and using a bed pan for a week I would have found it even worse in a mixed ward. Hope your ds is recovering!

I've never had a problem with mixed sexes, although single would be preferable. The most upsetting thing can be patients with dementia being so distressed and confused. I once had a patient pee in my slippers!
I have no stomach or duodenum so am a bit of a frequent flyer but find having Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky Go, Spotify, etc. and a good set of noise cancelling headphones make it far more bearable.

I dont think there is any dignity to be found in the NHS wards if you have dementia unfortunately. At least the baysxarent mixed. My dh gran spent two episodes on a mixed ward in beds next to men. She died on a mixed ward aftercare stroke.

I think I meant the bays aren't mixed sorry.

Wards have been mixed sex for years, thankfully the bays are single sex. Sounds normal to me, your boy will have to learn to avert his eyes, one day he'll be old like my Ddad (94) and be stood there with the door open peeing without a care as to who sees or can hear!!

@Walnutwhipster ds is proud of the amount of Netflix screen time he's knocked up! This is his first experience of hospital and the dx of colitis is new. Sorry to hear of your troubles!

@CrotchetyQuaver ds has been fine - DH was the shocked one!

I’m a doctor. This is completely normal
In the NHS. If I was a patient or parent of one I would rather be grouped with patients requiring the same specialty care ( both medical and nursing)

Doesn't bother me

If they can they will split it completely but if not they will go down to single sex bays in the same ward (and will usually try to have one one end one the other

@olympicsrock I think the nurses are quite enjoying having ds as he certainly isn't requiring the level of nursing care the elderly men with dementia in his bay do! The HCA commented as Soon as she asked how he was feeling "ah it's ... he's fine!" Because ds always says he's fine and is able to do his own self care!

Hope your husband pointed out to the ward staff the the toilet door was open so they could go and help the lady (because I’m pretty certain it wouldn’t have been left like that by any of them).

COMMUNAL wards are not ok, and should be banned. Absolutely disgraceful to show so little regard for patients. There's no dignity full stop, and the fact that we tolerate them is shocking.

Fair enough in intensive care when you need to be monitored at all time, but absolutely outrageous anywhere else - and other countries manage not to lose any more patients, if not less, despite having private rooms so the safety aspect is just a pathetic excuse.

I’ve always been on mixed sex wards for gastro and surgical.

Only time I’ve ever been on same sex ward is when I was in hospital for gyne issues and pregnancy

I also find a pot of Vicks VapoRub helpful (a little under each nosteil) because some Gastro wards can smell pretty pungent.