Experts doubt that NHS can scrap mixed sex wards by end of year

England’s health secretary, Andrew Lansley, is to introduce tough new measures to “name and shame” hospitals that continue to put patients in mixed sex wards. And he plans to strengthen the existing fines that primary care trusts can impose on hospitals that breach the rules against such wards.

But the measures—including initial reports that the minister planned to ban mixed sex wards completely by the end of the year—have been greeted with cynicism from some health commentators.

Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA Council, said, “This is going to be difficult to achieve at a time when NHS finances are being squeezed, particularly in older hospitals where expensive building work may be needed to create new wards.”

And the NHS Confederation, which represents most NHS organisations, was …