Privacy and dignity

When a patient is unwell and in our care, they should have the peace of mind that they are being cared for in pleasant surroundings, with healthcare staff who respect their need for privacy and dignity.

From the moment a patient arrives at one of our hospitals, our staff have a commitment to maintaining dignity in care.

We want our patients to feel that they matter and that their psychological or physical requirements, values, beliefs and personal relationships are being respected throughout their stay.

Accommodation

We have both single and mixed sex wards. They are split into small four or six bedded rooms or bays. In our mixed sex wards, the rooms or bays are kept for either all male or all female use. This means that patients will only share a room for sleeping with members of the same sex.

Separate single sex toilets, shower and washing facilities are available on every ward.

There may be some cases, for example, in our emergency assessment unit, critical care, high dependency or coronary care units where this may not be possible and is clinically necessary.

The trust will not turn patients away just because a bed is not immediately available in a same sex bay or room.

If you have any concerns about your accommodation in hospital, please contact the patient experience team on 01642 624719.

Eliminating mixed sex accommodation – declaration of compliance

All patient accommodation at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has been assessed and deemed compliant with current eliminating mixed sex accommodation (EMSA) requirements. Assessment was based on the seventeen principles developed by the Department of Health, to ensure each organisation delivers the highest standards of privacy and dignity within all areas of a hospital. The process of assessment has been scrutinised at trust board level. Ongoing compliance with EMSA principles will be monitored and actioned through quality monitoring processes.