The number of patients suffering the indignity of staying in mixed-sex wards soared to 908 in July 2017, more than double the number in the same month last year.

In total over 9,000 patients were put in a mixed sex ward over the last year, up 55% from the previous year.

The figures come after a recent official survey found NHS patients are increasingly dissatisfied with levels of privacy, dignity and well-being in hospital.

The Liberal Democrats have called on Theresa May to recommit to ending mixed-sex hospital wards, after the Conservative Party's longstanding pledge to end the practice was dropped from its 2017 Manifesto.

Under Theresa May's watch, we've seen a scandalous rise in the number of patients being forced to stay in mixed-sex wards.

Men and women shouldn't have to share hospital wards, it's an affront to basic human dignity.

It's time to end the the continued underfunding of the NHS and care that is putting intolerable pressure on services and leading to these sorts of failures.

The Conservatives once pledged to end mixed-sex wards, now it seems they've given up.

This shocking report shows that modern slavery is alive and well in 21st century Britain.

It's a hidden national scandal.

People are being bought and sold like cattle across the UK right under our noses. The government must step up efforts to stamp out this vile trade. Local police forces across the country need to be trained to spot the signs, and victims need to know that they'll be fully supported and protected if they come forward.

Reports have claimed that that two cabinet ministers have expressed an interest in forming a new anti-Brexit party.

As leader, I am determined that the Liberal Democrats will provide a home for all those who are unhappy with Brexit and the paths the other parties are taking.

But equally, we are prepared to work with people of all parties and none to get the best possible future for this country.

It might be the height of the August holidays, but your Liberal Democrat team have been hard at work - as usual this week. Here's what we've been up to:

Friday 4th August

After comments from Sir James Munby - the UK's most senior family judge about a horrifying mental health case, Norman Lamb called for more and better investment in mental health.

I'm not personally one of those who thinks we should weaken encryption because I think there is a parallel issue, which is cybersecurity more broadly.

Jonathan Evans, former Head of MI5

That was the former Chief of MI5 Jonathan Evans, speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme and stating that he would not support a clampdown on the use of encryption.

Tom Brake MP writes;

New Treasury figures have revealed that the UK made a net payment of roughly £156m a week to the European Union in 2016/17, the lowest level for five years.

Treasury figures suggest the UK's net contribution to the EU budget for the 12 months to March 2017 was £8.1bn, or around £156m a week.

Over two thousand residents have signed a Liberal Democrat petition against Surrey County Council's proposals to close four popular and well-used Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) in Bagshot, Cranleigh, Dorking and Warlingham. The County Council is also planning to reduce the opening hours of all the remaining CRCs, as well as scrapping the daily free waste allowance in order to save £2m from its budget.

Ed Davey, MP writes;

Today, the Government announced their draft Data Protection bill - which includes a raft of measures that will improve all our privacy online.

It is good news that the Conservatives are finally agreeing to take action to strengthen people's privacy online.

But once again the government is trying to take credit for rules that were already agreed at EU level.

Vince Cable, Lib Dem Leader writes;

Calls by Mervyn King, former governor of the Bank of England, for the government to come up with a "Brexit fallback" if negotiations with the EU27 end with no deal should be a wake-up call to this Conservative Brexit Government.

Anyone who has been following the Brexit debate knows that Mervyn King is a highly respected economist who deserves to be listened to.