A Kent hospital has breached rules about placing patients in areas with members of the opposite sex almost 1,000 times since the start of the year.

The government banned the use of mixed wards in 2010 - and now each NHS Trust records when there has been a “mixed-sex accommodation” (MSA) breach.

Data shows Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham has broken the “unjustified mixing” rule 964 times in 2024.

There were 486 MSA breaches in January, 278 in February, 90 in March and 110 in April.

Over the same period, East Kent Hospitals recorded 703 breaches. Dartford and Gravesham had far fewer with 75 and there were none at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells.

A Medway NHS Trust spokesman stressed that the numbers were reducing due to various measures being taken, including a new bed-management system.

Commenting on the figures, Jason Brady, head of medical negligence at Blackwater Law, which analysed the data from trusts across the country, said: “Mixed-sex accommodation breaches on NHS wards pose serious issues, leading to a profound loss of privacy and dignity for patients.

“We are sorry that patients have been cared for in mixed-sex areas…”

“These breaches can result in significant psychological distress, particularly for those who are already in a vulnerable state.

“Patients may feel exposed and uncomfortable, which can hinder their recovery and overall well-being.

“It is crucial to maintain single-sex wards not only to comply with policies but to uphold the fundamental principles of providing a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all patients.

“The importance of preserving the dignity and mental health of patients cannot be overstated, and ensuring separate accommodations for men and women is a key component of quality care.”

At Medway, the trust spokesman said breaches happened when the hospital reached full capacity and “escalation areas” had to be opened, and when patients could not be admitted to the appropriate ward because beds were not available.

Sarah Vaux, interim chief nursing officer for Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our staff work hard to maintain our patients’ privacy, dignity and safety during their stay with us.

“Thanks to a reduction in the opening of escalation areas, extra staff training, improved decision making and a new bed-management system, which allows us to monitor and report any breaches more accurately, the number of mixed-sex accommodation breaches has reduced significantly from January to April 2024.

“We are committed to eradicating breaches across the hospital.”

In April, East Kent Hospitals Trust recorded 257 MSA breaches - its highest this year - but had just 24 last month, although data for May is yet to be formally published.

Sarah Hayes, the trust’s chief nursing and midwifery officer, said: “We are sorry that patients have been cared for in mixed-sex areas.

“Improving patient experience is extremely important to us and we do all we can to limit this to only where it is clinically necessary.

“For example, where patients need access to specialist equipment and teams.

“If our care falls short of this standard, we always report it for learning as we work towards eliminating mixed sex accommodation unless in the overall best interest of the patient.

“The hard work of teams across our hospitals has meant that incidents of mixed sex breaches have fallen from 257 in April to 24 in May.”

When the ban on mixed wards came in, trusts were fined £250 per breach. However, since hospitals have been under greater pressures, including the pandemic, the penalty has been scrapped.