Mixed-sex accommodation breaches fall to record low

New data from the Department of Health (DH) has shown the number of patients staying in mixed-sex accommodation at NHS hospitals has reached an all-time low.

According to the figures, just 1,126 individuals were housed in mixed-sex wards in July 2011 – down from 11,802 patients in December 2010.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "The NHS has done a fantastic job getting to grips with this. But we remain determined to put an end to mixed-sex accommodation where it is not clinically justified."

Furthermore, Mr Lansley noted 69 per cent of acute trusts reported no breaches of single-sex policy at all.

Meanwhile, the DH is set to tackle the high levels of medicine wastage that continue to take place within the NHS, aiming to cut the present level of 300 million pounds by half.

Health minister Lord Howe argued that every pound wasted is a pound that could be spent on treating patients and improving levels of care.