RCS England response to NHS Staff Survey results

NHS Staff Survey results published today show that 8.82% of all NHS staff and 9.61% of medical and dental staff in training have been the target of unwanted sexual behaviour in the NHS from patients, service users, their relatives or other members of the public. The data also shows that 3.66% of NHS staff have been the target of unwanted sexual behaviour from staff/colleagues in the NHS.   
 
Professor Vivien Lees, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) and lead on tackling sexual misconduct, responded to the findings:  
 
“Continuing to gather data on unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature in the workplace is extremely important as it helps us define the scale of the problem and who is most impacted. There is absolutely no place in healthcare for these abhorrent behaviours. 
 
“It is essential that NHS staff feel empowered to report instances of misconduct without fear of reprisal or negative impact on their career progression. They also need to feel confident that reports will be believed. Urgent reforms to reporting and investigation processes are needed. NHS trusts also need a clear roadmap for how the National Sexual Misconduct Policy Framework will be implemented, including timelines, milestones, and accountability measures. 
 
“RCS England takes a zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct, and we are actively working to eradicate this behaviour in surgery and healthcare. Later this month we will publish our updated professional standards. Good Surgical Practice 2025 reconfirms the behaviours we expect from surgeons, with added emphasis on the profession’s commitment to eliminate discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and victimisation, improve working cultures, and advance equality of opportunity.” 
 
ENDS  
 
Notes to editors:  
 
1. https://www.nhsstaffsurveys.com/results/national-results/ - 8.82% of NHS staff have been the target of unwanted sexual behaviour in the NHS from patients, service users, their relatives or other members of the public. 3.66% of staff said that they had been the target of at least one incident of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature in the workplace in the last 12 months. 
 
2. Since the publication of WPSMS report Breaking the Silence: Addressing Sexual Misconduct in Healthcare and the in-depth study published by the British Journal of Surgery, we have redoubled our efforts to stamp out sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. You can read more about the work RCS England is doing on sexual misconduct here: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/about-the-rcs/about-our-mission/diversity/sexual-misconduct-in-surgery/
 
3. Our role as a Royal College is rooted in education, awareness and standard setting. We are also committed to developing and signposting impactful, targeted resources and training on being an active bystander, with specific reference to incidents of sexual misconduct. 
 
4. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients. 
 
5. For more information, please contact the Press Office: Telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6047; Email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; Out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.