To think psych wards should be single-sex?

[UndertheCedartree]

This is something I have thought about a lot. And am interested in others opinions and maybe what can be done about it?

I have spent time on 3 acute wards that were mixed-sex and also one long term ward that was women only (in fact the whole hospital was).

On all 3 of the wards men came onto me, while I was very vulnerable. On one occasion I started a relationship with a man on the ward. I was also touched inappropriately on many occasions. There was also aggression by men. I was obviously not thinking straight and would stand up to men who bullied/abused women. I was threatened on many occasions and actually punched once. This was just normal life on the ward. Looking back I feel I really wasn't safe guarded.

When I got to the women's hospital it was bliss! The general level of aggression (and aggressive swearing) was so much lower! Like a 1 compared to a 10. The type of abuse that happened all the time like inappropriate touching just did not happen. There were not people trying to come onto you all the time.

I just think psych wards should be single sex and preferably single sex hospitals! Because men can still target you when on leave if they are in the same hospital. What do you think?

@lobster2018

I agree! I spent a couple of weeks in a MH unit and it was mixed. One particular man wouldn't leave me alone! I rarely left my room because of it. It was awful and being there didn't help me at all because of it!

That's awful but doesn't suprise me atall. Really not fair on you being able to access help. Sometimes you are not even allowed in your room so have no escape!

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

Don't worry Covoid, I've seen worse MH typos.

My psychologist once started an email to me with the phrase "Dead Clumping" (rather than "Dear"). We were in frequent email contact at the time because I was struggling a great deal with depression and suicidal thoughts. She was mortified when she realised, but I told her it was the first time I'd laughed in weeks…

Having been there myself and having a dry sense of humour that would have had me in hysterics!

@CSIblonde

Single sex doesnt = safe . A close friend was on an all female psych ward a few years back. I was apalled that the male Nurse who was in charge most shifts openly flirted with her & used to put his arm round her waist & joke they were husband & wife. I didn't find it funny. He was obv attracted to her.

Absolutely, I agree. And that is totally inappropriate. Did you complain?

I think all wards should be single sex, and I take your point about single sex hospitals as well, although this would be too difficult to achieve. People are at their most vulnerable when they are so unwell that they need to be in hospital. Expecting them to navigate complicated situations with people of the opposite sex who are also unwell is unrealistic.

@CovoidOfAllHumanity

All MH nuts in my experience of working on them have always been and continue to be mixed sex

The reason they don't fall foul of the mixed sex accommodation rules is that the sleeping areas and bathrooms are single sex and it's only the communal areas that are mixed. We are strict on no males in female areas (including patients and visitors but not staff) on wards I have worked on. There are also female only and male only lounges in wards I have worked on.

It would require a lot more resources to have single sex wards because of loss of flexibility and given the lack of beds at present it seems a long way off

On one acute as I mentioned above, although the same that normally men patients or visitors were not allowed on the women's sleeping wing - we did have a man allowed who was identifying as a woman. He switched between identifying as a man or woman on each admission. (I was on the ward for 7 months so saw many discharges and readmissions) When you say 'only' the communal areas that are mixed - but that is where you spend a lot of your time. You have to be in the communal areas for meals, drinks, to go in the garden, sit in the main lounge, OT room, to do your laundry, when waiting for ward round, when doing off ward OT groups, the gym and when on leave. You may be required to be in the communal areas if they want to keep an eye on you but you aren't on 1:1 obs.

The assesment unit I was on didn't even have men's and women's rooms separate. They were all mixed with bathrooms shared between men and women. That was the worst ward I have ever been on for so many reasons. It was hell. I had a man start a relationship with me on that ward. He had a wife but I thought we were just friends. And just thought he could be a bit full on at times. I look back on it with horror now. He only got away with it as I'd had a mental breakdown and was seriously unwell.

@DoubleYouOhEmAyEn

I think all wards should be single sex, and I take your point about single sex hospitals as well, although this would be too difficult to achieve. People are at their most vulnerable when they are so unwell that they need to be in hospital. Expecting them to navigate complicated situations with people of the opposite sex who are also unwell is unrealistic.

I agree. Undoubtedly single sex hospitals are unrealistic outside of the private hospitals. But I feel there really needs to be much better safeguarding of women when on leave if there are going to be men with them when they go out for a cig. The attitude seems to be once you're off the ward then they wash their hands of you. But if you are so seriously unwell to need to be in hospital you are very vulnerable and at risk whether from a predatory male or just a very unwell one. All sorts user to happen once we were on leave.

When my Mum needed to go to a psych ward, there was a delay of about 3 hours after the decision had been made because they had to create a female space and they only had male beds left. They had to reorganise the wards. Patients on different wards weren't allowed to mix except in the common areas.

In fact, on the female wards there were no men (even staff) allowed past the nurse's office. When my DM couldn't get dressed, they allowed me down to help her but not my father.

For all its faults, I never felt my DM would be unsafe in that respect.

So when you say patients on different wards weren't allowed to mix except in common areas - that means that they were in fact allowed to mix? Do you mean the women had a separate wing for bedrooms and common areas on the ward were mixed or that each ward was single sex but patient's mixed when in the common areas of the hospital?

Sorry that was @lougle and sorry that sounds like an interogation! Just a bit confused by what you meant and what 'passed the nurse's office' means?

There isn't the money or the building space for single sex wards, MH provision is already terrible with few inhouse secure beds available and there isn't the staff to ensure that mixed wards are safe.

6m on waiting lists, set to rise to 12m, people waiting years for a hip op, so whilst it may be an ambition, it wont happen.

@UndertheCedartree

So when you say patients on different wards weren't allowed to mix except in common areas - that means that they were in fact allowed to mix? Do you mean the women had a separate wing for bedrooms and common areas on the ward were mixed or that each ward was single sex but patient's mixed when in the common areas of the hospital?

I mean that if we were visiting my DM and took her to the little cafe/shop in the hospital, she might meet a male patient. If we were visiting my DM and took her into the main reception area, she might see a male patient. But unless we were visiting, she stayed on her (locked) ward which was exclusively female with exclusively female staff.