SPECIAL ARTICLE Mixed-sex wards: a survey of patient's opinions

The proposed change in the location of the observation ward of Royal Victoria Hospital from a single-sex ward with separate toilet and washing facilities for men and women to a mixed-sex ward with shared toilet facilities prompted this survey. The observation ward is attached to a major adult accident and emergency (A&E) unit and the observation ward is staffed by the A&E doctors. Patients admitted were over 13 years of age and required observation and investigation for a large variety of acute reasons. Patients were generally discharged within 24h. Relocation took place in August, 1990. The first ward had two six-bedded bays, each single-sex. The second ward was a Nightingale-type ward where male and female patients were mixed. The nurses tried to avoid men and women being in beds directly opposite to each other. The beds however were quite close to each other and there was no way of avoiding men and women being in neighbouring beds. There was no partitioning in the ward except around the nurses station, and curtains could not be kept drawn as all patients had to be observed at all times. The first ward had separate toilet and washing facilities for men and women; th