* NHS Sexual Harassment Charter Failure*

A flagship strategy⁢ too tackle sexual harassment across the NHS in England has failed to ​improve the safety‌ of female staff, according to legal experts and healthcare unions.

The ‌ NHS‌ sexual safety charter, ‌launched ⁢in September 2023, was supposed to improve ⁢how hospitals, GP surgeries⁢ and other organisations address sexual⁣ harassment. But the UK-based charity Rights of Women ‍said calls from NHS staff ‌to its sexual harassment ‌at work advice line have increased significantly since the charter was rolled out.

laura Bolam, the ‌employment law officer of ⁢the charity – which provides ‌free ⁢legal advice to 3,000 working⁣ women each year across England and Wales – said that the proportion of its callers who​ are women in the ⁣NHS⁤ had doubled recently.

“In 2023, ‍around 11% of our calls ⁤came⁢ from women working in the NHS; this rose to 19% in 2024 and increased again to 22% ⁢in 2025. ‍This highlights that sexual harassment within NHS trusts⁤ is not only rising but appears to be an ‌entrenched, systemic issue.”

All NHS organisations in England have‌ signed the sexual safety charter, ⁣which⁤ commits them to taking⁣ a zero-tolerance approach to unwanted sexual behavior. But a Guardian investigation ‌found many trusts continue to report improbably low‍ numbers of incidents, notably for staff sexually assaulting or sexually harassing colleagues and other staff.

Responses by‍ 212 NHS trusts in England to freedom of details requests disclosed⁣ just over 1,200 incidents of staff-on-staff⁣ sexual harm from 2022-23 to 2024-25. More than two-thirds (93) ⁤of acute trusts reported fewer than three sexual harm ⁢incidents by staff‌ against other staff over those three years, while 24 recorded none.

But in the latest annual NHS staff survey, 3.7% of​ workers said they ⁤had been the ​target of unwanted sexual behaviour from colleagues. Given that the NHS in England employs 1.5 million people this would equate to 54,900 alleged victims in 2024‌ alone.

Bolam said there seemed little evidence that the charter has improved the‍ safety of female staff. “We ‍continue to hear from women whose workplaces have not upheld its commitments,” she said. “Many have told us that their⁢ managers were‌ unaware of the charter’s existence, let alone implementing ‌its provisions.

“Women have disclosed experiences including rape, physical​ assault and ongoing experiences of‌ verbal and sexual harassment from male ⁢co-workers.We are disproportionately contacted by women ‍in lower-grade roles, including ⁤nurses ‍and healthca

Reports of Patient Abuse Against NHS Staff ‍Surge ‍in England

Reports of⁣ abuse against National ​Health Service (NHS) staff in England, including sexual ⁣harassment and assault, have significantly increased, with 14,718 incidents reported in the ‌year 2023-2024, according to data analyzed by The Guardian.

What the Data⁤ Shows

The number of reported incidents represents a⁢ 38% increase from the 10,654 reports made in 2022-2023. The‌ data, collected from 83 NHS trusts​ in England, reveals​ a concerning trend of ‌escalating⁢ violence and harassment directed towards healthcare workers. The figures include verbal abuse, physical ‌assault, and sexual harassment. A chart ⁣detailing the number of reports is available from the Guardian: Chart showing the number of⁢ reports of ‍abuse ⁣of NHS by patients in England.

Legal Obligations and Responses

All NHS‌ trusts are legally obligated ‍to protect their staff from ⁣sexual harassment under the Worker Protection ⁣Act, with enhanced duties coming​ into force under the⁢ Employment ‍Rights Act.According to Charlotte Runswick, executive director of the Royal College of‍ Nursing,⁢ fulfilling these legal‌ obligations requires⁢ “consistent, obvious and enforceable action,” not simply⁤ signing charters. ​A spokesperson for​ the Department of health and Social Care stated that sexual harassment ​is unacceptable and that the department is committed to ⁢supporting NHS staff.