DARENT Valley Hospital has missed two targets for infection levels and patients kept in mixed sex accommodation. 

Wards holding both men and women were banned across the NHS in 2010 but from April 2012 to March this year the hospital saw 63 violations, including 23 in May last year alone.

A violation occurs whenever any single patient is kept in mixed-sex accommodation so one man in a ward of seven women would mean eight violations. 

A Darent Valley spokesman was keen to stress the total number of patients admitted each month was between 3,000 and 3,500 across year.

He said: "We know how important it is for patients to share accommodation with members of the same sex and this is our goal. 

"This year we have seen a big increase in the number of patients coming to Darent Valley and having the necessary beds available in the required areas has been challenging.

"Placing a patient with the opposite sex on a ward is only done in an emergency, as last resort or when it is in the patient’s best interests for example in the stroke unit.

"As soon as a bed becomes available in a same sex area, they are moved.  We apologise for any inconvenience this causes."

The head of the Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Clinical Commissioning Group expressed concern about the figures.

Dr Baskhar Bora said: "We were concerned about the 19 mixed sex breaches in the first two months of this year at Darent Valley and we highlighted these at our public governing body meeting last month.

"But we noted there were no cases in March, the latest figures available, which suggests the hospital is working hard to keep within guidelines."

Dr Bora asked CCG members at the meeting whether they were happy with the fact 24 cases were recorded from April 2012 to April 2013 when the target was 20.

He said: "Following a spate of CDiff cases in early 2012 to 2013, the hospital has introduced a lot of remedial work and was expecting to be within its 20 case tolerance.

"But the Trust reported four cases towards the end of the 2012 to 2013 year.

"For the current year, as commissioners, we have reduced the hospital’s CDiff tolerance and a zero tolerance has also been introduced for any hospital-acquired cases of MRSA."

A Darent Valley spokesman added: "We have had significant success over the years in keeping the number of CDiff cases to a minimum.

"We carefully monitor and investigate each case and we are using this information to help reduce the risk of hospital acquired CDiff in the future."

Mixed sex ward violations and total inpatients at Darent Valley, April 2012 to March 2013

April   May   June   July   Aug   Sept   Oct   Nov   Dec   Jan   Feb   March

5        23       0        0      5        0        5       6       0      11     8        0

3210 3375  3272  3333 3232 3184  3467 3455  3444  3492 3194  3565