A major initiative designed to stamp out sexual harassment within England's National Health Service has failed to make female staff safer, according to leading legal experts and healthcare unions.
Charter Fails to Curb Rising Harassment
The NHS sexual safety charter, launched in September 2023, was intended to transform how hospitals, GP practices, and other health service organisations address unwanted sexual behaviour. However, data reveals a worrying increase in incidents since its introduction.
The charity Rights of Women, which runs a dedicated advice line, reports a significant surge in calls from NHS staff. Laura Bolam, the charity's employment law officer, stated that the proportion of their callers who are women working in the NHS has doubled in recent years.
"In 2023, around 11% of our calls came from women working in the NHS; this rose to 19% in 2024 and increased again to 22% in 2025," Bolam explained. "This highlights that sexual harassment within NHS trusts is not only rising but appears to be an entrenched, systemic issue."
Massive Discrepancy in Official Figures
Despite every NHS organisation in England signing the charter and committing to a zero-tolerance approach, official records appear to vastly understate the scale of the problem. A Guardian investigation based on Freedom of Information requests uncovered startlingly low reported figures.
Responses from 212 NHS trusts disclosed just over 1,200 incidents of staff-on-staff sexual harm between 2022-23 and 2024-25. Remarkably, more than two-thirds of acute trusts reported fewer than three such incidents over the entire three-year period, with 24 recording none at all.
This contrasts sharply with the experiences shared in the annual NHS staff survey. In the latest survey, 3.7% of workers stated they had been subjected to unwanted sexual behaviour from colleagues. With an English NHS workforce of approximately 1.5 million, this suggests around 54,900 alleged victims in 2024 alone.
Lack of Implementation and Trust in Reporting
Unions and staff representatives argue the charter's promises are not being translated into action on the ground. Professor Nicola Ranger, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said it was clear elements of the charter were not being effectively enforced.
"It has become increasingly clear that elements of the charter, including around promoting a culture of openness and transparency, are not being adhered to or enforced effectively," she stated, calling for a simplified national reporting standard.
Dr Emma Runswick, Deputy Council Chair of the British Medical Association (BMA), emphasised that a "zero tolerance" pledge is meaningless without visible action. "The discrepancy between recorded incidents and staff-reported experiences shows a deep lack of trust in current reporting processes," she added.
Bolam from Rights of Women confirmed that many women report their managers are unaware the charter even exists. The charity hears from women, often in lower-grade roles like nurses and healthcare assistants, who have experienced rape, physical assault, and persistent verbal and sexual harassment.
In response, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said sexual harassment was unacceptable and that healthcare leaders must take robust action. They pointed to new staff standards being introduced this year and noted that three-quarters of trusts now offer anonymous reporting routes.
The spokesperson concluded: "Sexual violence or misconduct has absolutely no place in the health service and it's essential all NHS organisations adopt the measures set out in the newly launched sexual safety charter." However, for thousands of staff, the evidence suggests this adoption is not yet a reality.
