Mixed-sex wards used a record 5,000 times in a single month – despite Wes Streeting condemning practice

The government said it was ‘not acceptable’ for patients to share sleeping accommodation with members of the opposite sex - (Getty/iStock)

The use of mixed-sex wards in hospitals in England has soared to the highest number in a single month for nearly 15 years – despite health secretary Wes Streeting slamming the practice under the last Conservative government.

Official figures from NHS England show strict rules against their use were breached more than 5,000 times in January, for the first time since 2011.