NHS Staff Survey 2025 Exposes Alarming Rise in Workplace Abuse and Violence
The latest NHS staff survey for 2025 has uncovered deeply troubling statistics, revealing that more than a quarter of health service employees in England reported experiencing harassment, bullying, or abuse. This marks the highest level recorded in three years, highlighting a significant and growing crisis within the National Health Service.
Violence and Harassment Reach Unprecedented Levels
According to the comprehensive survey, one in seven NHS staff members, equivalent to approximately 217,000 individuals, experienced violence from patients or the public during the past year. Simultaneously, over 380,000 employees, representing more than a quarter of the workforce, reported incidents of harassment, bullying, or abuse. These figures are particularly stark given the NHS employs around 1.5 million people across England.
Sexual harassment has also surged to record levels, with nearly one in ten NHS workers overall disclosing unwanted sexual behaviour. The problem is even more pronounced among specific groups: a third of ambulance staff and more than one in ten nurses and midwives reported similar experiences. Despite the prevalence of these incidents, underreporting remains a persistent issue. While three-quarters of staff indicated they would report violent incidents, barely half said they would come forward about harassment or abuse.
Racism and Discrimination on the Rise
The survey further unveils disturbing patterns of racism and discrimination within the NHS. One in five Black and minority ethnic staff reported abuse, bullying, or harassment from patients or the public, a rate starkly higher than the one in twenty reported by white staff. Additionally, one in seven Black and minority ethnic employees faced similar behaviour from colleagues, managers, or team leaders, double the rate experienced by their white counterparts.
Nearly one in ten workers overall reported experiencing discrimination from patients or other members of the public while at work, the highest figure ever recorded. These findings align with a recent Guardian investigation, which disclosed that NHS trusts reported nearly 300,000 incidents of physical violence and 50,000 cases of sexual harm over the three years leading to April 2025. However, the data also revealed inconsistencies, with eight trusts reporting fewer than ten cases of violence and 45 trusts recording 20 or fewer sexual harm incidents during that period.
Industry Leaders Decry 'National Emergency' for Staff Safety
Professor Nicola Ranger, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, condemned the findings, describing them as evidence of a "torrent of violence, sexual assaults, discrimination and abuse" faced by nursing and other NHS staff. She emphasised that the figures reveal "disgraceful and steadily rising attacks against our predominantly female profession, with no sign of letting up, and falling confidence among staff that employers will do anything about it." Ranger declared the situation a "national emergency for staff safety" that should "profoundly shock us all."
Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive at The King's Fund, echoed these concerns, stating, "You can't run a health service on hostility." She acknowledged that patients and the public may face frustratingly long waiting times but stressed that this "is not – and never will be – an excuse for discrimination." Woolnough affirmed that just as the public have a right to free healthcare, "NHS staff have the right to work without fear and abuse."
Danny Mortimer, Director General for People at NHS England, described the figures as "deeply worrying" and pledged to enhance support for NHS workers. He asserted, "Staff safety and wellbeing is paramount, and we want everyone experiencing any kind of unwanted incident to feel confident enough to report it."
The 2025 NHS staff survey underscores an urgent need for systemic changes to protect healthcare professionals, ensuring they can perform their vital duties in a safe and respectful environment.
