Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has breached the mixed-sex ward rule hundreds of times, according to new figures.

Between October and March, the Trust recorded 510 breaches of a rule preventing different sexes from sharing accommodation, NHS data shows.

The rule has been broken by many trusts nationally, with blame placed on the pressures the NHS faced during the Covid pandemic.

However, the Patients Association described violations of the rule as an "affront to patients’ dignity".

The rule applies to sleeping accommodation, which includes any area where patients are admitted on beds or trolleys even if they do not stay overnight.

Except in justified situations, such as in intensive care, hospitals have been expected to eliminate mixed-sex wards since 2010.

"No patient wants to receive intimate, personal care on a mixed sex ward, and it's the sort of stress that doesn't promote recovery," explained chief executive Rachel Power.

She added that the charity, which campaigns on behalf of patients, understands the challenges the NHS faced during the pandemic but it must now restore services to pre-Covid levels.

She also said that government investment in social care could help reduce the number of breaches by allowing more medically fit patients to be discharged.

The number of breaches in Salisbury has increased since before the pandemic - there were 386 breaches between October 2019 and February 2020.

Data was not recorded between March 2020 and September 2021 due to the pressures of Covid.

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust responded by saying that infection prevention and control guidance meant that the rule has had to be breached.

Judy Dyos, Salisbury Foundation Trust Chief Nurse, said: “At all times Salisbury Hospital strives to provide patients with single sex accommodation. 

"However, recently patient safety and the risk of exposure to Covid-19 infection has meant that at times we have had to accommodate people in mixed sex wards in line with national infection prevention and control guidance. 

"When a patient is accommodated in a mixed ward every effort is made to maintain their dignity.”

'Left with little choice'

Jessica Morris, a fellow at independent health think tank the Nuffield Trust, said that the situations will be "distressing for patients", but "staff are left with little choice".

Describing the situation as "unfortunately already common" across trusts before the pandemic, Covid has caused many hospitals to run "close to capacity".

“Breaches for mixed-sex accommodation were unfortunately already common across NHS trusts before the pandemic and are a symptom of hospitals running constantly close to capacity," she said.

"The impact of Covid has seen performance against many targets slip further out of reach."

In April 2021, the NHS dropped its policy to fine NHS trusts £250 for each breach of the rules.

Across England, 16,576 breaches were recorded between October and March – up from 12,947 between October 2019 and February 2020, and the highest number for the period since 2010-11.

Between October 2014 and March 2015, there were just 1,740 breaches nationally.

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