During a visit to Greater Manchester today, David Cameron, Conservative Party Leader, announced that the Conservatives would rid the NHS of mixed sex wards. 

Mr Cameron was in Trafford visiting Susan Williams, Trafford Council Leader and Conservative Party Candidate for Bolton West.  After making a visit to Trafford General Hospital he gave a key note speech about his party’s vision for the NHS. 

During questions Cllr Andy Morgan, Chairman of Bolton Councils Health Overview and Scrutiny committee, highlighted the Bolton Evening News story about the sexual assault of an 82 year old woman pensioner by Dean Galley aged 41 whilst on a mixed sex ward at the Royal Bolton Hospital and asked what Mr Cameron and the Conservative Party would do to eradicate them from the NHS.

Mr Cameron said "Tony Blair and Gordon Brown pledged in 1997 to rid the NHS of mixed sex wards but to date have failed on this pledge so that means we will have to sort it out". 

Shadow Health Minister Andrew Lansley, accompanying Mr Cameron, commented that a recent Freedom of Information request to all NHS Hospital Trusts revealed that over 30% of hospitals still had mixed sex wards which were unacceptable in the 21st Century.” 

Mr Cameron added "The dignity of patients and their safety must come first and vowed  that the next Conservative Government would rid the NHS of mixed sex wards when it was clinically appropriate."

After the Key Note Speech Cllr Morgan added "I welcome David's commitment and agree whole heartedly that when clinically appropriate ever effort should be made by the NHS to eradicate mixed sex wards and this, in my view, includes wards such as the Medical Assessment Unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital."