An outbreak of norovirus and a surge in patients forced a hospital to make male and female patients share the same ward areas.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust reported 15 breaches of the rule which says men and women should be segregated into different bays.

This was the highest number of breaches in the Sussex, Surrey and Kent
area for that month.

Hospitals are fined £250 for each day they have a breach.

The trust, which runs Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards, came under increased pressure in March, which led to staff struggling to find available beds.

A spokeswoman said there had been no further breaches since then.
 

Brighton and Sussex University Hospi- tals NHS Trust and Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust both reported no breaches.

Hospitals are expected to provide separate sleeping, bathroom and toilet facili ties for the different sexes.

Wards do not have to be single-sex, but patients should be kept in bays divided at the very least by a full-height partition.