The New South Wales opposition is calling for answers on how many hospitals are housing adults and children in the same wards.

Earlier this week, state parliament was told that a number of women had been put in the children’s ward at Port Macquarie because of bed shortages.

Dr Richard Matthews from the department says adults and children sometimes do share wards but they are kept in separate rooms.

“We take our responsibilities in child protection extremely seriously,” he said.

The opposition’s Jillian Skinner says the practice goes against the recommendations of the Garling inquiry.

“The minister needs to come clean about exactly how many hospitals this is happening in,” she said.

She says 2,500 hospital beds have been closed since Labor took office.

The New South Wales opposition is calling for answers on how many hospitals are housing adults and children in the same wards.

Earlier this week, state parliament was told that a number of women had been put in the children’s ward at Port Macquarie because of bed shortages.

Dr Richard Matthews from the department says adults and children sometimes do share wards but they are kept in separate rooms.

“We take our responsibilities in child protection extremely seriously,” he said.

The opposition’s Jillian Skinner says the practice goes against the recommendations of the Garling inquiry.

“The minister needs to come clean about exactly how many hospitals this is happening in,” she said.

She says 2,500 hospital beds have been closed since Labor took office.