35,000 cases of sexual misconduct or violence in the NHS in five years

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By Fergus Hewison, Matt Pintos and Melanie Stewart-Smith, BBC Profile at 4

53 minutes ago

More than 35,000 incidents of sexual misconduct or sexual violence – ranging from derogatory remarks to rape – were recorded at NHS headquarters in England between 2017 and 2022.

Rape, sexual assault or touching without consent accounted for more than one in five cases.

Most of the incidents – 58% – involved patients mistreating staff.

Freedom of information requests were received from 212 NHS trusts and 37 police forces in England.

The data that came from the funds showed that at least 20% of the incidents involved rape, sexual assault or inappropriate physical contact – including kissing. Other cases included sexual harassment, stalking, and offensive or derogatory remarks. About one in five cases involved patient abuse of other patients – although not all boxes provided a detailed breakdown.

Meanwhile, police have recorded nearly 12,000 alleged sexual offenses on NHS premises in the same time period – including 180 cases of rape of children under 16, with four gang rapes of children under 16.

A former patient told File on 4 how she was sexually assaulted by a male patient while she was showering in hospital.

“The door flew open and there was a man in the doorway,” Mary (not her real name) said. “I yelled because I had no clothes on. He ran up to me and yelled ‘I’m going to have some of that'”.

When the man grabbed her arm, she explained, she “managed to elbow him and push him away.”

“I was trying to run and cover myself with my hands and body parts because everyone was staring.”

Mary, now in her early 80s, is hospitalized after suffering a heart attack in 2020.

Her attacker was sitting on a chair outside the shower room.

The incident was reported to the police but the force involved said there was not enough evidence to start a trial.

An NHS spokesperson told the BBC that all NHS businesses must have strict measures in place to ensure immediate action is taken on any reported sexual cases.

But the BMJ and Guardian investigation found that fewer than one in 10 NHS trusts had a policy dedicated to dealing with sexual assault and harassment – and that managers were also no longer required to report staff abuse to a central database.

Image credit: British Parliament/Andy Bailey

photo caption,

“I hear over and over again, this has happened to so many other people,” says Lip Dem Daisy Cooper MP

Mary says she had no support from the hospital after the attack – and NHS File 4 admits more should have been done.

The Liberal Democrats’ health spokeswoman, Daisy Cooper, has called for a new sexual complaints system to protect patients, visitors and staff. She says Mary’s story is an example of the “absolutely unacceptable” number of sexual attacks taking place in NHS hospitals across the UK.

“I hear over and over again, this has happened to so many other people.

“There is no simple and clearly defined way for people to make a complaint of a sexual nature and for it to be treated respectfully and dealt with efficiently.”

Councilor Philippa Jackson told File on 4 she was sexually assaulted by a senior colleague in the NHS when she was working as a junior doctor.

“He was rubbing himself on my thigh, and then he made a comment about his erection,” she said.

“Then he kissed me on the bottom of my neck and again I felt very uncomfortable.”

photo caption,

Chancellor Philippa Jackson: ‘I was asked a series of questions about whether or not I led him’

When Jackson filed a formal complaint about the individual, she said she was questioned by senior managers at the hospital.

“I was asked a series of questions about whether or not I was leading him on, basically, whether or not I was being flirtatious,” she says.

No action was taken against the man, and Ms. Jackson says she was told the incident had not been witnessed and could not be proven – so there was no case to answer.

Although more than 4,000 NHS staff were accused of rape, sexual assault, harassment, stalking or abusive remarks towards staff or other patients in 2017-22, the BMJ and Guardian investigation found that only 576 had faced disciplinary action.

In a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care said: “The Minister for Health and Social Care is working closely with the NHS and recently convened an urgent meeting with NHS leaders to discuss how we can root out this despicable behavior and ensure services are always safe for staff and patients.”

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