General Chat

I wonder how many of you would object to being put in a ward in hospital with somebody of another sex. We are having to share wards here, so that in a ward of 4 beds 3 can be men and 1 a woman. In my experience nurses are always leaving the curtains half open when they come round visiting with the doctor and your bare body is for all to see! Also, the conversations are no longer private, they are for all to hear! I've always thought myself able to live comfortably in modern society, but not on this point. I do know that if you are desperately ill then you will take anything, but it is not desperately ill people who are put together. Sylvia xxx

Hello Sylvia, I was in mixed ward a few years ago...Hated every minute of it. R.B. xxx

I believe it is still quite common here Sylvia, despite government promises to phase them out. The worse part is that in some elderly wards there have been instances of elderly men assaulting ladies etc. Ann Glos

I was on a mixed orthapaedic ward. We all went for physio together also I was fine to be honest. Sue xx

Hello Sylvia - don't think l would like that - as Ann says, its supposed to be phased out here. Hope you & Johan are well?? jude sarf wales :o) x

I suppose it all depends what you are in hospital for. Call me old fashioned if you like but girls with girls and boys with boys is what I prefer.I have a neighbour here who loved every minute of it with the ladies, but then again he goes to the nudist beaches as well - without his wife! Sylvia xxx

Wouldn't want to be in a mixed ward, don't think it would be condusive to getting well.

One's bedroom is private for a reason and a hospital is, in essence a large communal bedroom. Mixed wards seem to me to be solely in the interests of the hospital and not at all in the interests of the patient.

Hi Sylvia, Our nearest hospital has mainly single rooms which is a lot better. Been to visit friends that had given birth and they had their own room with built in baby changing area and bath. The general room look pretty good as well with tv and comfy chair. Def would feel happier being admitted over here than the UK. Hope you are feeling better xx xx Jill

Most hospitals in the UK now have mixed wards but also most have 4 bed bays, ie, a 20 bed ward will be divided up into 5 bay areas off the main ward corridor. Off the corridor there were side wards, treatment rooms, bathrooms toilets, shower rooms, kitchen and offices for admin and Dr's. On the main corridor is a 'work station' for the nursing staff. The most needy patients will be in the bay nearest to the nurses station where they can be seen at all times. The one's I've worked in have always kept bays solely for men or women. The bays all had double doors into them that would close automatically if a fire alarm went off. I know this isn't the same in all hospitals but it has been where I've nursed in recent years. Saying all that I much prefer to have the old type of ward, beds down both sides of a long ward, excellent hygiene, and wards of either all men or all women. It was like that in the 60's when I started to train. Bring back 1 matron to run things and get rid of so called Modern Matrons, 3/4 of management and train nursing staff in the hospital not at a University would save a fortune and get the hygiene back into hospitals. Most hospital wards are staffed by auxillary staff with just a few trained nursing staff who spend all their time on paper work. One hospital I worked in had all their auxillary staff from the ladies who had been made redundant from the cleaning side of the hospital when the hospital decided to 'contract out' and brought in the cheapest cleaning firm they could find! They ended up not only doing basic nursing, of which most were very good, but going around cleaning behind the cleaners! Daphne

I agree with you Jill about preferring to go in hospital in France. Not that I know of France, but Spain I do. When Johan was in hospital in Spain I was allowed to sleep in the bed next to him. We had our own bathroom etc.etc. I was provided with towels etc. but not food. No problem as they had a perfect bar and restaurant downstairs. If Johan went into hospital here, even if it were 2 hours' drive away, then I would have to travel every day to visit him. I wonder sometimes which are the poor countries! Here they mainly have 4 and 2 bed wards. Unheard of are those large wards like I was in in London. Sylvia xxx

My Hubby has been in one not good at all it,s not fair is it June .