Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Hospitals facing fines for same-sex ward care

Leicester's hospitals could be facing further fines for breaking rules on single-sex care for the third month running.

However, the numbers are coming down and managers say they are confident that by April 1 male and female patients will be cared for separately.

Latest figures published by the Department of Health show that, during February, 107 patients were looked after on mixed-sex wards.

This compares to 198 in January and 233 in December. Most of the 84 patients in February were on the endoscopy unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary, where men and women had to share accommodation as they were recovering from their procedures.

The rules were broken 17 times on the acute medical unit at the Royal Infirmary because of the large number of patients coming into the accident and emergency department needing to be admitted for medical care.

Six patients were affected in the discharge lounge at Glenfield Hospital.

A hospital spokesman said it was down to pressure on space.

Due to new Department of Health rules, the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust could be fined more than �132,000 by the primary care trust, NHS Leicester City and NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland, for breaches in the regulations.

A hospital spokesman said the trust is in talks with the primary care trusts on the issue of fines.

Carole Ribbins, director of nursing at Leicester's hospitals, said that building work on the endoscopy unit at the infirmary was now finished and that men and women had not had to share accommodation since February 18.

She added: "We expect a dramatic drop in breaches this month and expect to be fully compliant with same-sex accommodation regulations by the end of March 2011."



Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32715/f/503348/s/13b5f910/l/0L0Sthisisleicestershire0O0Cnews0CHospitals0Efacing0Efines0Esex0Eward0Ecare0Carticle0E3380A5610Edetail0Carticle0Bhtml/story01.htm

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