We must confront sexual violence in the NHS to prevent further institutional harm

The recent “Me Too in Medicine” investigation by The BMJ and the Guardian1 is an important reminder of the sheer scale of sexual violence experienced by NHS staff—35 000 reports of rape, sexual assault or harassment, stalking, or abusive remarks were identified though a freedom of information request to all NHS trusts and police forces from 2017 to 2022. As highlighted in the investigation, this is likely just the “tip of the iceberg” of sexual violence in the healthcare system. Last week we similarly saw the publication of a report by the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery (WPSMS) showing the alarming levels of sexual violence perpetrated by our surgical workforce.2 This shouldn’t surprise us—sexual violence persists in every country and culture and mostly affects women and girls but can affect anyone.3Survivors of sexual violence in the healthcare workforce have been silenced and neglected, and we have failed to…
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