And there are plans to extend the practice to St George Hospital as a way of coping with the traditional influx of patients during winter.

But the move has alarmed staff at both hospitals, with concerns raised about the level of care afforded to patients as well as child protection matters.

One recent weekend 10 adults shared Sutherland Hospital's children's ward, with a staff member describing the situation as "getting out of hand''.

While a spokeswoman for the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service said "appropriate protocols'' were in place to screen adult patients, there are fears the safety of pediatric patients could be compromised.

A meeting between concerned staff and hospital administrators took place at the end of May but failed to resolve the matter.

The Children's Hospital at Westmead undertook a major review of its child protection policies after a man was found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage patient. The offence took place in 2003, while the man was visiting his son in hospital, but became public only after he appealed his conviction in the Supreme Court.

The hospital introduced improved security measures, including new protocols for overnight stays by carers, after the man was found guilty of raping the 16-year-old girl, who was a hospital patient.

Dr Eli Kleiner, the director of paediatrics at Sutherland Hospital, said the issue of co-location of adults in the children's ward at Sutherland was the subject of "ongoing discussions'' between staff and hospital administrators.

"As yet we have not resolved all of the issues,'' he said.

An area health spokeswoman said that while paediatric patients always had "priority to a paediatric bed'', beds were used by other patients when the need arose.

"When beds are not being utilised by paediatric patients, they are used in a flexible manner to best meet the needs of other patients,'' she said.

"Patients who do utilise beds in the children's ward are generally young female patients who are individually screened to determine their suitability for the ward, in accordance with the Child Protection Act.

"Further child protection arrangements are ensured, with appropriate protocols in place.''

However, a staff member told the Leader that elderly male dementia patients had been admitted to the children's ward on more than one occasion in recent months and had been found wandering the corridors.

Do you think adults should be admitted to children's wards?