Women still face harassment on psychiatric wards

Female psychiatric patients on mixed sex wards are still
experiencing harassment, according to a new report.

The survey by City and Hackney Community Health Council of
patients in Hackney, east London last year, supports a national
survey carried out by Mind, where over half of respondents reported
sexual harassment, abuse and even rape on psychiatric wards across
England.

The latest study found that 22 of the 32 women questioned were
unhappy being on mixed sex wards because of harassment from men and
lack of privacy. The most common complaint was feeling unsafe at
night and sometimes during the day.

It was conducted following concerns that the East London and the
City Mental Health Trust has not made much progress on the issue of
single sex accommodation and is not listening to the experiences of
female patients.

Women in medium secure accommodation should be on a single sex
ward or have their own designated day and night areas, and staff
training should be provided in the care of women at night in mixed
sex wards.

Mind is urging the government to introduce tighter guidelines
and tougher implementation of current policy on mixed sex wards in
psychiatric hospitals as they believe the existing guidelines do
not go far enough towards ensuring the safety and dignity of female
patients