Sexual safety charter: 10 pledges to address abuse of NHS nurses
Employers have been urged to sign up to the ‘zero tolerance’ NHS sexual safety charter, which commits to greater support for staff who experience harassment
Nurses who experience sexual harassment at work have been promised more support under the first ever NHS sexual safety charter.
Healthcare employers and professional bodies are being urged to sign up to the charter, which promotes a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to unwanted, inappropriate and harmful sexual behaviour.
NHS England’s charter advocates zero tolerance of sexual harassment
The charter, launched by NHS England on 4 September, features ten pledges, including commitments to provide clear reporting mechanisms, staff training and support.
Research suggests many nurses experience sexual harassment at work but it is often dismissed as ‘just part of the job’.
More than 22,000 incidents of physical and verbal sexual abuse were reported by staff between 2017 and 2022, according to data from NHS trusts collected by the BMJ and The Guardian.
A Unison survey of more than 2,000 nurses in 2021 found 60% had experienced sexual harassment at work.
Nurses who shared their experiences on the Surviving in Scrubs platform – which was set up to expose misogyny and harassment in the NHS – described receiving rape threats from patients, fending off unwanted advances from predatory colleagues and coping with sexist comments.
Focus on structural factors that perpetuate inequalities is needed, says specialist nurse
Organisations that sign up to the new charter will be expected to take all reports of sexual harassment seriously and take appropriate action against alleged perpetrators.
NHS England said managers would receive extra training to improve awareness and ensure allegations are investigated properly. All trusts will be expected to appoint a domestic abuse and sexual violence lead to support patients and staff to report incidents and access support.
Meanwhile, the annual NHS staff survey will now feature questions on sexual safety.
Gender-based violence nurse specialist Leanne Patrick welcomed the measures but said they would require significant investment to make a real difference. ‘The scale of essential training needs alone requires a whole team in every trust with specialist knowledge,’ she told Nursing Standard.
Efforts to tackle sexual harassment and violence must also consider structural factors that perpetuate gender inequality in healthcare, she added. ‘Sexual safety policies already exist in many trusts and they make little difference since they don’t consider the causes of domestic abuse and sexual violence. The name itself places focus on victims and not onto prevention.’
Charter welcomed as ‘important step forward’
The RCN is considering its position on signing up to the charter. RCN head of health, safety and well-being Leona Cameron said: ‘Sexual harassment of health and care staff as they go about their job is unacceptable. Staff need to be assured that if this does occur, there will be a zero-tolerance approach and action will be taken against perpetrators of this unacceptable behaviour.’
Chief executive of NHS Employers Danny Mortimer said the charter was ‘an important step forward’ and NHS leaders would work with unions to ensure it was implemented.
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