Female patient is beaten to death on a mixed-sex ward

The 58-year-old victim was attacked by the fellow patient, who was being treated in the same psychiatric unit.

He had a bed near his victim and launched his assault at around teatime on Monday, knocking her to the ground. He then attacked her on the floor before staff could come to her rescue.

They gave her first aid and attempted to resuscitate her before she was taken to a neighbouring hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police arrested a 36-year-old man and were last night questioning him over the incident, which took place on a mental health ward at Birch Hill Hospital in Rochdale.

The killing has left charities and patient groups stunned and has led to a fresh call for the end to mixed sex wards in hospitals across the UK after a catalogue of rapes and assaults on vulnerable women patients.

The Daily Mail started campaigning against mixed sex wards 12 years ago.

In November 1996, Tony Blair, as Opposition leader, said: "Is it really beyond the collective wits of the Government and health administrators to deal with this problem?

"It's not just a question of money. It's a question of political will."

In 1997, the Government set its first target for closing all such wards by 1999.

But this target was missed and in January 2000 this was revised to 2002.

It was then moved again, to April 2004 - but this target was also missed by the Government.

Moira Fraser, head of policy at the Mental Health Foundation, said: "What does it say about a system in which some of society's most vulnerable people feel less safe in hospital than outside?

"People have a right to feel safe in mental health wards. What is unacceptable in other NHS wards must be unacceptable in mental health wards."

An official report by the National Patient Safety Agency last year into 45,000 incidents involving mental health patients over two years concluded one in 50 incidents - around 900 - resulted in severe harm or death of patients.

The incidents happened in mental health hospitals, community units, day care services and private houses.

Further figures showed there had been 100 cases of rape, sexual assault and harassment in mental health institutions in less than two years.

The number of assaults included 19 rapes, and involved both patient-on-patient and staff-on-patient incidents though ministers said the number of rapes on patients was "unsubstantiated".

Figures released last year showed that almost two in three patients in some hospitals are still having to put up with the humiliation of mixed-sex wards.

The statistics showed that around 60 per cent of patients in some trusts have to stay in a mixed-sex room or bay.

Birch Hill Hospital provides inpatient mental health services for adults and outpatient services for people of all ages.

Last year the trust that runs the hospital was more than £21million in debt and it announced plans to cut 325 jobs, 250 beds and sell off its headquarters.

Union bosses say the hospital has been plagued by security problems and last year a nurse suffered serious injuries when she was stabbed in the chest by a 15-year-old boy.

Bosses held a security awareness week to highlight the rising number of attacks on staff by patients and visitors and staff were to be given two-way radios.

In the wake of Monday's attack, a spokesman for Pennine Care NHS Trust said: "Incidents like this are extremely rare within mental health settings, and understandably this has caused distress to staff and patients.

"The trust is ensuring that appropriate support is provided to all of those affected by the incident."