Inquiry into sexual violence in NHS hospitals

I want the Government to have an inquiry into sexual violence being reported in NHS hospitals, to come up with a plan to reduce incidents.

I want the Government to do this because it appears to be a problem across the nation. I think the users of the NHS need to be aware and take necessary precautions to stay safe and it is not getting the investigations and media coverage it deserves.

We are ensuring health care leaders in the NHS take robust, compassionate action to address and reduce all forms of sexual misconduct and harassment within their organisations and to ensure a safe environment for staff and patients. It is entirely unacceptable for anyone to experience any form of sexual misconduct, including violence and harassment, within NHS settings.

Since 2023, the NHS Sexual Safety Charter – which promotes a zero tolerance approach towards sexual misconduct in the NHS – has been adopted by every Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS Trust in England. The Charter asks all ICBs and Trusts (all of which have an executive-level lead for domestic abuse and sexual violence) to adopt particular standards in the identification and investigation of staff sexual misconduct cases.

To support delivery of the Charter, NHS England has developed a national NHS people policy framework on sexual misconduct, e-learning for all staff on sexual misconduct, a communications toolkit, and an assurance framework for Charter implementation.

These resources provide information about how to recognise, report and act on sexual misconduct; an approach to taking action when a report is made; and the support available to people involved or harmed. The sexual misconduct policy framework, for Trusts and ICBs to adopt and adapt, sets out how reports should be handled. NHS England is measuring the uptake of the framework across all Trusts and ICBs, including gathering key feedback about its impact and effectiveness so far. Feedback will be used to identify areas where organisations need support with implementation to achieve an accountable sexual safety culture.

NHS England has recently written to providers and asked them to take further steps to identify potential perpetrators of sexual misconduct and to redouble efforts to protect staff and patients.

The Professional Standards Authority has produced guidance on sexual boundaries to support professional regulators, such as the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), in meeting their statutory duty to investigate concerns raised about healthcare professionals. For example, the GMC has published new resources including new GMC resources to support victims and survivors of sexual misconduct by doctors. The Government has also confirmed its commitment to prioritising the reform of healthcare professional regulation in the UK. This includes modernising the regulatory framework for doctors and, as part of that, removing the GMC’s five-year rule which restricts the GMC from investigating some historic concerns such as allegations of sexual misconduct.

The Government’s 10 Year Health Plan sets out standards for the NHS workforce and will be produced in conjunction with the Social Partnership Forum. These include reducing the levels of violence and sexual harassment against staff.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) addresses sexual safety within its Assessment Framework, assessing if providers have cultures and processes to protect people from sexual harm. CQC uses analysis of the NHS Staff Survey questions relating to sexual safety, incidents data and complaints data, among other evidence, to make informed decisions. Where CQC finds that NHS services do not prevent sexual misconduct, it can act using regulatory powers, or by referring the service to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The NHS Staff Survey now includes two new questions on unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature. These help trusts understand the prevalence of sexual misconduct in their workplace and informs further action to protect and support staff across the NHS.

The Equality Act 2010 gives legal protections against sexual harassment at work. Yet, reports in recent years show that it remains a problem. To address this, a new duty on employers to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their employees came into force on 26 October 2024. The Government will strengthen this duty through the Employment Rights Bill, clarifying that employers must take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their employees and for employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties. The Bill includes a measure that will expressly make sexual harassment the basis for a protected disclosure. This will provide clarity for workers and have benefits, including encouraging workers to speak up about sexual harassment by using whistleblowing routes.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres offer medical, practical and emotional support to anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted or abused, and are available to all victims and survivors of sexual violence and abuse, whether recent or non-recent.

NHS England, ICBs, providers, professional regulators and the wider system represent an urgent and collective effort to enact positive change and eradicate the abhorrent behaviours described in various independent reports about sexual misconduct in the NHS.

Department of Health and Social Care