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Abstract
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NHS trusts and integrated care boards have been told by NHS England to review their policies for handling cases of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse of staff and patients and to consider adopting dedicated policies on sexual safety.
The action followed an investigation by The BMJ and the Guardian in May, which found that NHS trusts were failing to protect staff and patients from sexual assault and harassment, prompting medical colleges and healthcare unions to urge the government to act immediately. A series of requests made under freedom of information legislation showed that, despite trusts recording more than 35 000 cases of rape, sexual assault, harassment, stalking, and abusive remarks on their premises between 2017 and 2022, just one in 10 trusts had a dedicated policy on how to deal with cases and try to prevent them.
A month later Steve Russell, chief delivery officer for NHS England, wrote to chief executives of trusts and integrated care boards to announce he had been made responsible for improving the NHS's response to sexual violence and harassment and ordered trusts to "redouble" their efforts to keep staff and patient safe.
"In recent weeks, you will have seen reports of sexual assault, harassment and abuse in the NHS," said his letter, seen by The BMJ. "It is therefore timely that we redouble our efforts to ensure that every part of the NHS takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle this issue which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators.
"With over 1.3 million people employed in the NHS, and with about two million contacts with patients every working day, the NHS has a responsibility to protect staff and patients, and offer safe spaces and routes for support."
The letter told organisations to review policies for handling cases, the support they offered to staff and patients who experienced sexual crimes in the course of contact with the organisation, and how they collected, reported, and analysed data on incidents. It added that organisations should consider dedicated sexual safety policies and that NHS England would work with them to develop and share best practice.
Language: en |