Delivering same-sex accommodation (DSSA)

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals Declaration of Compliance with delivering same-sex accommodation.

NHS organisations have a duty to declare how they perform in relation to ensuring that patients are treated within same-sex accommodation.

We are pleased to confirm that we are compliant with the government’s requirement to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation, except when it is in the patient’s overall best interest, or reflects their own personal choice.

All patients have the right to privacy and dignity and this is particularly important to those staying in hospital.

We have the necessary facilities, resources and culture to ensure that patients who are admitted to our hospitals will only share the room where they sleep with members of the same sex, and same-sex toilets and bathrooms will be close to their bed area.

Sharing with members of the opposite sex will only happen when clinically necessary, including:

• where patients need urgent, highly specialised care, for example: Urgent and Emergency Care, Intensive Care Unit, Coronary Care Unit or Post Anaesthetic Care Unit.
• in some areas where patients of both genders are co-located and wearing gowns including Theatre Recovery, Day Case Units and Radiology departments.

Once patient care is completed in these areas or there is no longer a requirement for highly specialised and or urgent care, we will aim to move patients into same-sex accommodation as quickly as possible.

If you have questions or concerns about privacy or dignity, please discuss these with the ward / department manager, matron or contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 01925 275512 or out-of-hours telephone line 01925 66 2281 (24-hour voicemail).

Our Patient Experience and Inclusion Team lead on the Trust’s Policy for Delivering Same Sex Accommodation and can be contacted at whh.patient.experience@nhs.net.