Nearly Two Years On: Has the NHS Sexual Safety Charter Delivered Real Change?

As we approach two years since the launch of the NHS Sexual Safety Charter, we wanted to take a moment to pause and reflect.  

The Charter marked significant steps forward, an acknowledgement at national level that sexual harassment and misconduct within healthcare settings is a serious, systemic issue that requires proactive, sustained action. 

At the time, its introduction was widely welcomed. But nearly two years on, a key question remains: 

How much has really changed in practice? 

The reality is likely mixed. 

Across the NHS, implementation of the sexual safety charter in healthcare settings has varied between trusts. Some have embraced it as an opportunity to drive genuine cultural change; strengthening reporting pathways, investing in meaningful staff engagement, and embedding accountability. Others, under significant operational and budgetary pressures, may have focused on compliance without fully realising the Charter’s intent. 

These differences matter, because we know the issue itself is both real and persistent. 

There continues to be a notable prevalence of sexual misconduct within medical and healthcare settings, affecting staff at all levels. 

Recent NHS Staff Survey data highlights this, telling us: 

• Nearly 1 in 10 NHS staff report experiencing unwanted sexual behaviour at work [bmj.com] 

• This equates to tens of thousands of incidents each year, including inappropriate comments, unwanted advances, and assault [news.sky.com] 

• In 2023 alone, over 84,000 incidents of unwanted sexual behaviour were recorded [news.sky.com] 

• Around 3–4% of staff report sexual misconduct from colleagues, highlighting internal workplace culture challenges [rcseng.ac.uk] 

• More broadly, over a quarter of NHS staff experience harassment, bullying or abuse, with levels now at a multi‑year high [theguardian.com] 

These are not isolated cases—they point to systemic challenges around power dynamics, workplace culture, and barriers to speaking up. Underreporting remains a significant barrier, with only around half of staff saying they would report harassment or abuse. [theguardian.com] 

This is precisely why the Charter emphasised prevention, not just response. We can’t respond to an issue that is rarely, but understandably, not being made so visible. 

Policies and reporting mechanisms are essential, but they don’t, on their own, shift culture. The real change happens in how people think, behave, and interact day to day, and that’s where many organisations still face challenges. It is in the fabric of interpersonal dynamics in large organisations.  

Moving Beyond Policy to Prevention 

Frankly, prevention is where many organisations still struggle. 

There are challenges to develop psychologically safe workplaces in the NHS, indeed in many workplaces. Real change happens in day-to-day interactions, team dynamics, and whether individuals feel confident to speak up. 

That’s why the most effective approach is trauma-informed sexual harassment training. For NHS trusts reviewing their progress against the Charter, the question is no longer just what policies are in place, but: 

Are staff more confident in identifying and reporting sexual harassment? 

Is there a stronger culture of accountability? 

Are incidents being prevented, not just recorded? 

Training needs to do more than the basics. It must: 

• Help staff understand and better identify these behaviours in the first place  

• Ensure everyone better understand the impacts of these experiences, and why it might vary person to person 

• Address the realities of power imbalance and workplace dynamics 

• Build confidence to challenge and report concerns 

• Create space for honest, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations 

But most of all, what the training needs to achieve is creating meaningful, ongoing conversations and reflections across an organisation. That’s what begins to shift culture in a meaningful way. 

For NHS trusts looking to move beyond policy into genuine prevention, the quality and approach of training is critical. 

Survivors’ Network: Trauma-Informed Training for Healthcare Organisations 

This is where our training for NHS and healthcare organisations is uniquely placed to support. With extensive expertise in supporting survivors of sexual violence and abuse, Survivors’ Network, ensuring that sessions are safe, sensitive, and impactful for all participants. 

We deliver specialist sexual harassment training in healthcare that is: 

• Trauma-informed – prioritising safety, sensitivity and inclusion 

• Highly engaging – designed to spark genuine interest and participation 

• Rooted in lived experience and professional expertise 

• Focused on long-term behaviour and culture change 

Our training is already popular and consistently well-received. Trusts who have engaged with our sessions have been found the following amongst their teams: 

• Increased awareness of sexual misconduct 

• Greater confidence to challenge behaviours 

• More open and ongoing conversations across teams 

Importantly, our approach supports organisations to move beyond compliance training towards meaningful, sustainable workplace culture transformation.  

And, honestly, we have loved travelling around the country and holding these conversations with NHS colleagues! 

A Critical Opportunity for the NHS 

As the NHS continues embedding the Sexual Safety Charter, this is a critical opportunity to shift from intention to impact. 

The foundations are there, but translating them into safer, more respectful healthcare workplaces requires the right investment in people, learning, and culture. 

Trauma-informed training is one of the most effective ways to achieve this. 

Strengthen Your Approach to Sexual Safety 

If your organisation is reviewing its progress on preventing sexual harassment in healthcare, now is the time to act. 

• Survivors’ Network trauma-informed training for NHS staff helps organisations build safer, more respectful workplace cultures
• Get in touch to explore tailored sexual harassment and misconduct training for healthcare teams