A TOP health authority has apologised to Hereford County Hospital for claiming it did not meet national standards over mixed sex wards.

The hospital banned mixed wards, with some exceptions, early in 2003 after a massive campaign in Herefordshire, led by the Hereford Times.

But in a new report issued by the Department of Health, the hospital has been named on the internet as one of 30 in the country which are said not to have complied with a ruling to end men and women together wards and now needing help to do so.

The West Midlands Strategic Health Authority has confirmed the inclusion was "a mistake" and an inquiry is taking place to see how the County Hospital's name got on the list.

Concerns over mixed sex wards were aired nationally last week on radio, TV and in newspapers when Professor Christine Beasley, chief nursing officer, said the NHS held the key to delivering privacy and dignity to all patients and that single sex accommodation was one of its core commitments.

She said that, realistically, there would be some times when mixing occurred, such as in intensive care and emergency admissions, but even then, some attempt at segregation should be made.

"I am asking the NHS to do more to ensure that when there is no choice but to mix patients, that more safeguards are taken to ensure that privacy is maintained," she said.

The DoH had years ago asked all hospitals to end mixed wards by April 2003 and the County Hospital accomplished this ahead of schedule.

Medical director Peter Harper said staff were very disappointed last week, during the national debate, to see the hospital listed on the website.

"It came as something of a surprise and we were not pleased," he said.

The hospital was well aware of the concerns of patients about mixed sex wards and had complied with the national standards a long time ago, he added.

A spokeswoman for the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority said the mistake would be looked in to and she confirmed the hospital was in compliance with DoH policy to rule out mixed sex wards, the exceptions being in intensive care units and emergency admission wards.

At the County Hospital, the admissions ward consists of four-bed bays and every effort is made to ensure that each bay remains single sex.