- Reference Number: HEY1453-2024
- Departments: Corporate
- Last Updated: 2 September 2024
Same-Sex Accommodation: Your privacy, our responsibility
“You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, in accordance with your human rights” NHS Constitution
Dear Patient,
We understand that a visit to hospital can be unsettling. Preserving your privacy and dignity is not only your right but it is also very important to us. We will do everything that we possibly can to ensure that your privacy and dignity are not compromised.
If you or your relatives or carers have any questions or concerns about this or any other matter relating to either maintaining your privacy and dignity or any other aspect of your care, please do not hesitate to ask to speak to the Nurse in Charge of the ward who will be pleased to help you.
If your query cannot be resolved by a member of staff on the ward, our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is available to you and the contact details for PALS are provided in this leaflet.
Thank you for your help and cooperation.
Your sleeping accommodation
Coming into hospital can be a stressful and anxious time for the person attending. It is very important to us that you feel you are treated with respect, privacy and dignity at all times. Our Hospitals are committed to reducing and, where possible, eliminating mixed-sex accommodation and to delivering same-sex accommodation.
It is important for us to ensure your privacy and dignity is maintained whilst being transferred to other areas within the hospital.
Ward accommodation
The majority of our wards are mixed sex wards. However, we meet the national standards in that all sleeping, washing and toilet facilities are for single sex use only.
You will therefore have a bed either in a single room or in a bay of the same sex as yourself and will never have to walk through an area of the opposite sex to access bathrooms or toilets. We are happy to discuss any personal circumstances with you regarding the need for a single room during your stay.
If in a single room
You may have an ensuite bathroom for your use only, or there will be toilets and a bathroom designated for single sex use nearby.
If in a bay
You will be provided with a bed in a bay with people of the same sex as yourself. In some of our wards there is a bathroom and toilet within the bay but if this is not provided, there is a bathroom and toilet adjacent to the bay which only people of the same sex as you will be using.
There are other toilet facilities within the ward which are designated for male and female use.
Please ask a member of staff if you are unsure where the nearest toilets and bathrooms for your use are located on the ward.
Toilets designated for use by people with disabilities may be used by both men and women.
However, the Trust has a number of Acute Admission and Critical Care areas that provide specialised care to patients. Within these areas, it is not always possible to maintain separate male and female sleeping areas. Where this is the case, you can expect staff to explain this to you and your relatives fully.
If your admission to hospital is planned, we will inform you about this prior to your admission. If you are admitted to hospital as an emergency, we will advise you and/or your relatives about this as soon as is appropriate and practicable following your admission.
Confidentiality
We will try always to hold conversations with you in a way that maintains confidentiality. If you wish to discuss your care or treatment in a private area, please inform any member of staff.
Chaperones
If you wish, you may request to have a chaperone to accompany you when you are being treated, examined or when information is being shared with you. This is your right. Please ask a member of staff if you would feel more comfortable to have a chaperone with you.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service can provide on the spot help, information, advice and support. PALS have been introduced to ensure that the Trust listens to patients, their relatives and carers. PALS are there to answers questions and resolve any concerns as quickly as possible. PALS also helps the Trust to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and then making changes, when appropriate.
You can contact PALS in the following ways:
Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust:
North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust:
- Tel: 03033 306518
- Email: Nlg-tr.PALS@nhs.net
Other information
The NHS is committed to eliminating mixed-sex sleeping areas in all hospitals. More information about the ‘Delivering Same-Sex Accommodation Programme’ can be found at the following website:
www.nhs.uk/samesexaccommodation
Further information about the NHS Constitution can be found at the Department of Health’s website: www.dh.gov.uk
Information about you
As part of your care, when you come to the hospital, information about you is shared between members of a health care team, some of whom you may not meet. It may be used to help train any staff involved in your care. Information we collect may also be used after you have been treated to help us to maintain and improve the quality of our care, to plan services, or to research into new developments.
We may pass on information to other health organisations to help improve the quality of care provided by the NHS generally.
All information is treated as strictly confidential, and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.
Under the Data Protection Act (1998), Humber Health Partnership is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold on you.