It’s time to end unwanted, inappropriate and harmful sexual behaviour in the NHS

The NHS is facing its own #MeToo moment. Here, the CEO of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, reveals the extent of the problem affecting one in 12 NHS workers – and says she is determined to root it out

A survey has found that 58,000 staff reported unwarranted sexual approaches from patients or other members of the public last year, writes Amanda Pritchard (PA)

Whether it’s record levels of ambulance callouts, millions of extra GP appointments, or more cancer referrals than ever before, the daily pressures faced by NHS staff are well known.

However, the latest NHS staff survey has shone a stark new spotlight on one aspect of their working lives. For the first time ever, we asked whether staff had experienced unwanted sexual behaviour while at work – and the results are truly sobering.

The findings reveal that 58,000 staff reported unwarranted sexual approaches from patients or other members of the public last year – that’s one in every 12 NHS workers. And one in 26 reported experiencing similar harassment from work colleagues.