NHS Employers responds to the sexual harassment of female surgeons report

Responding to the report that a third of female surgeons have been sexually assaulted by a colleague, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers part of the NHS Confederation said: 

“Sexual misconduct in the workplace has absolutely no place in the NHS, or in wider society, and its incumbent on all to take action to eliminate it, including employers, professions and trade unions. One person experiencing sexual misconduct is one too many. 

“The authors of this report have done a hugely important service to their colleagues, workplaces and patients. The experiences reported by women working in surgery challenge their colleagues and employers to do better for all their employees.

“It is important to note that NHS organisations have policies regarding workplace harassment and violence from the public and these policies will also cover sexual misconduct. As well as this the NHS recently launched its sexual safety charter which enforces a zero tolerance approach to any inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviours.”