SLaM eliminates mixed sex accommodation

Mixed-sex accommodation has been eliminated at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) in line with Government requirements for NHS hospitals to provide same-sex accommodation for all patients.

The Trust is committed to preserving patient privacy and dignity. Patients can now expect to be offered their own bedroom or, if admitted to a mixed-sex area, a bed in a section which is either male only or female only. All patients will also have access to same-sex bathroom and toilet facilities.

Sharing accommodation or bathroom facilities with members of the opposite sex will only happen when it is in the patient's best interest - for example where patient's are in need of specialist care (e.g. patients requiring intensive care, close observation or monitoring) or when the patient actively chooses to share mixed-sex accommodation (e.g. some of the patients using our rehabilitation services).

The Trust has implemented all the necessary resources and facilities to ensure that patient's admitted to hospital will only share sleeping areas with members of the same sex. An audit of in-patient services will also be undertaken to ensure that we maintain the required standards of same-sex accommodation. The audit results will be published on the SLaM website by 1^st June 2011.