MALE and female NHS patients should no longer have to put up with mixed-sex wards in North Yorkshire.

The shared accommodation has now been “virtually eliminated” from all wards and inpatient facilities used by the NHS North Yorkshire and York health trust.

The trust announced it had met the Department of Health’s April 1 deadline for eradicating mixed-sex facilities.

Gary Hardman, director of quality and clinical assurance at the trust, said: “Every patient has the right to receive high-quality care that is safe, effective and respects their privacy and dignity.

“We are pleased to confirm that mixed-sex accommodation has been virtually eliminated in our hospitals.

“Patients who are admitted to any of 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.”

He said that sharing with members of the opposite sex would only happen “by exception based on clinical need” such as in situations where patients needed specialist equipment.

He said: “The NHS Constitution states that all patients have the right to privacy and to be treated with dignity and respect.

“We believe that providing same-sex accommodation is an effective way of helping to achieve this goal and of giving all patients the best possible experience while they are in hospital.”

The Department of Health had demanded English health care trusts publish statements this week confirming they have virtually eliminated mixed-sex accommodation. This followed a government drive and a £100 million Privacy And Dignity Fund set up by the department last January to help trusts improve their hospital environments.

NHS East Riding of Yorkshire also announced it had met the department’s deadline, but the neighbouring Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust admitted it had yet to publish its statement.

It admitted to being non-compliant on a number of wards at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, but said it was “working hard to correct this”.