Brian O'Shea
Question:161 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children his Department's policy in relation to mixed wards in acute hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14391/99]
Written Answers. - Gender Mixing.
Gender mixing occurs in high dependency units such as intensive care, coronary care and accident and emergency departments as well as in small geriatric assessment units. Outside of these areas, gender mixing may occur as a result of emergency medical need where no alternative accommodation can be found at the time of admission. It is not possible to re-organise the accommodation arrangements for male and female patients on a day to day basis to correspond with the varied demand for male and female beds. Some flexibility is therefore required occasionally in order to ensure that patients who need to be admitted can be. In such circumstances patients are usually only mixed for short periods until alternative accommodation can be found. On such occasions it would be normal practice that patients would be screened off by the use of curtains etc. to ensure that a degree of privacy can be maintained.