Completed developments

The Trust completed several developments in order to virtually eliminate mixed-sex accommodation (MSA) at our hospitals.

We carried out a capital investment programme for Trust-wide improvements in single-sex accommodation in 2009/10. This particularly focused on:

  • Floor 10, east block, Charing Cross Hospital: redevelopment to address intensive care issues
  • A block, Hammersmith Hospital: work on the intensive care unit and high dependency unit wards
  • First floor, QEQM building, St Mary's Hospital: redevelopment of acute and admission unit 

Each site plan focused on four main aims:

  • To erect partitions to ensure that bays have three solid walls and to ensure that the bays are sufficiently enclosed to ensure patients' privacy and dignity is maintained
  • To build shower facilities to ensure that showers are adjacent to the single-sex bay/side room
  • To build toilet facilities to ensure that toilets are adjacent to the single-sex bay/side room
  • To increase monitoring of patients to enable patients to be segregated in admission areas regardless of the acute nature of their condition

We also carry out daily audits to review MSA and there is a transfer policy in place for post-admission moves.

A 'red peg' poster campaign has been implemented across the Trust to emphasise the importance of dignity. Local dignity champions are being nominated by the Trust dignity steering group. Dignity gowns have been trialled.

Each ward and department has a sister’s office with some also having a 'quiet' space for breaking bad news.

We have completed the NHS London review and self-assessment of MSA and the Department of Health (DH) review and action plan on MSA. Our clinical programme groups (CPGs) have completed action plans for their respective areas, which have contributed to a comprehensive estates plan. A verbal update on the estates programme was presented to the February 2010 clinical programme board (CPB).

We are part of a national learning set on patient experience that will include mixed-sex accommodation.

Our director of nursing is part of the NHS London patient experience committee and the Trust is part of a national DH pilot called 'Root causes of mixed-sex accommodation'.

We are undertaking a site and strategic review and strategic development of St Mary’s Hospital.

We have carried out a self-assessment against the national service framework (NSF) for children and have created privacy rooms for breastfeeding within our children’s services.

Areas for religious worship of different denominations are provided on all sites.

Patients' views on accommodation are captured using a patient experience tracker in our medicine CPG. There is a buddying system from executives and other senior managers to support the programme.

We are implementing actions from essence of care audits.

Complaints regarding privacy and dignity issues are taken to our complaints forum.