Julie Clark, NHS North West lead on Delivery of Same-sex Accommodation
What does delivering same-sex accommodation (DSSA) mean for staff and patients?
The DSSA project aims to provide all hospital patients with same sex accommodation and washing facilities by April 2010. The project is indicative of the NHS’s pledge to improve patients privacy and dignity and will also help to improve patient safety and experience.
DSSA includes making large-scale physical changes to hospital estates in order to provide men and women with same sex accommodation and washing facilities but it’s not all about building work and extra curtains.
DSSA means changing patient and staff perception of healthcare by educating staff to be more aware of delivering privacy and dignity alongside excellent clinical care to patients and informing the patients of what they can expect during their time in hospital.
We aim to make patients feel reassured that we are doing everything in our power to ensure they are treated in a same-sex environment and will not have to enter accommodation areas of the opposite sex in order to use toilet and washing facilities.
How does the DSSA programme link into the overarching NHS commitment to P&D?
The DSSA project is a key element of the overall Privacy and Dignity initiative undertaken by the NHS. By providing our patients with same sex accommodation in our hospitals we hope to improve patient experience and safety which will in turn feed into the assurance that patient privacy and dignity is being maintained.
People often feel vulnerable when they are in hospital and as leading healthcare providers it is our responsibility to make sure patients are spoken to, treated and accommodated in a manner that recognises their rights to privacy and dignity.
Ensuring privacy and dignity is maintained in our hospitals covers a diverse range of factors including providing same sex accommodation and washing facilities, ensuring curtains are effective and visitors ask to enter a curtained off bed before walking in and providing hospital gowns and nightwear that is hygienically and clinically effective and also preserves patients modesty.
Why is the DSSA programme important?
Research has shown us that patients do not like being placed in mixed sex accommodation whilst they are in hospital. Some patients have indicated that they would feel safer and more comfortable in same sex surroundings. It has also been noted that people do not like their private medical details being audible or visible to other patients and staff on a ward. It is these concerns that the project aims to address and improve on.
Our goal is to not only provide same sex accommodation to patients by April 2010 but to raise staff and patient awareness around the privacy and dignity initiative so that P&D is interwoven into staff delivery of excellent clinical care and patients know they can expect to be treated in a private and dignified manner and atmosphere.
What are the challenges you face within the DSSA programme?
One challenge has been ensuring that all estates changes and improvements that are being undertaken to comply with DSSA guidelines are completed by the April 2010 deadline. Altering the fabric of often very old buildings to achieve same sex accommodation has been challenging in some area but estates teams are working closely with Trusts across the patch to meet this deadline.
I’d say the other challenge we face is making sure that all NHS employees understand the importance of the programme and how they can help to achieve the P&D and DSSA goals and keep striving to shape and improve healthcare for future generations.
What are the next steps you’ll be taking to support the delivery of the programme across the NHS North West?
NHS North West hosted a regional DSSA event in December which included marketplace- style workshops on all aspects of the project including: DSSA hot spot areas such as MAU and ITU, estates and many more.
The event will help attendees to overcome any compliancy issues they have and there will be DSSA leads on hand to answer any queries that come up. We are also hoping the event will be a great opportunity for attendees to share best practice examples of how DSSA is being achieved at individual Trusts.
What can staff do to help facilitate the successful delivery of the same sex accommodation project?
Staff should check in with their own P&D lead and ask them any questions they have around the project and how they can adapt their style of working to increase levels of privacy and dignity for all patients.
It would also be great if any frontline staff could pass on any ideas and suggestions they have around the DSSA project to their P&D leads as this will be really valuable in terms of making sure everyone understands how they project can benefit both patients and staff and why it is so important in terms of the overall patient experience.