2023-05-23 14:54:18
- Fergas Hewson, Matt Pintos, and Melanie Stewart-Smith
- BBC
A new investigation says more than 35,000 incidents of sexual misconduct or sexual violence – ranging from derogatory remarks to rape – occurred on NHS England’s premises between 2017 and 2022.
Rape, sexual assault or touching without consent accounts for more than one in five cases.
Most of the incidents – 58 percent – involved patients mistreating staff.
Data for the investigation was collected by the British Medical Journal in collaboration with The Guardian newspaper and the BBC.
These authorities took into account the commitment to the rules of freedom of information.
The data it received showed that at least 20 percent of the incidents involved rape, sexual assault or inappropriate physical contact – including kissing.
Other cases included sexual harassment, stalking, and offensive or derogatory remarks.
One in five cases involved patients mistreating other patients – although no details were available.
One of the former patients told the BBC that a patient sexually assaulted her while she was showering in hospital.
Mary (a pseudonym) added: “The door suddenly opened and there was a man standing in the doorway. I screamed because I wasn’t dressed.” Then he ran up to me, and yelled, “I’m going to have some fun with that.”
Mary explained that she managed to twist his arm and push him away when he grabbed her arm.
“I tried to run and cover myself and parts of my body with my hands because everyone was staring at me,” she said.
Mary, who is in her eighth decade, was hospitalized following suffering a heart attack in 2020.
Her attacker was sitting on a chair outside the shower room.
She reported the incident to the police, but the concerned force said there was not enough evidence to prosecute the man.
image copyright UK PARLIAMENT/ANDY BAILEY
The British Parliament discussed the issue and the representative of the Liberal Democrats made an intervention in this regard
A spokesman for the NHS told the BBC that all NHS institutions must have strict measures in place to ensure prompt action is taken in reported cases of sexual assault.
But the investigation by the medical journal and the Guardian found that at least one in 10 organizations in the agency has a policy dedicated to dealing with assault and sexual harassment — but managers are under no obligation to report any mistreatment by staff to the appropriate authorities.
Mary says she received no support from the hospital following the attack – and the NHS Foundation Trust told the BBC they should have done more.
Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper called for a new sexual complaints system to protect patients, visitors and staff.
Cooper says Mary’s story is an example of the “absolutely unacceptable” number of sexual attacks taking place in NHS hospitals across Britain.
“I hear over and over once more that this has happened to many other people,” she added.
“There is no simple and clearly defined way to file a complaint of a sexual nature, for the competent authorities to deal with it respectfully and efficiently.”
Philippa Jackson, a junior doctor, faced sexual assault from a colleague
Senior doctor Philippa Jackson told the BBC that a senior colleague at the NHS sexually assaulted her when she was a junior doctor.
She added, “He was rubbing his body once morest my thigh, and then he mentioned something regarding my erection.”
“Then he kissed me on the bottom of my neck and I felt so uncomfortable and uncomfortable.”
When Jackson filed a formal complaint regarding the colleague, she was questioned, she said, by senior managers at the hospital.
She says, “They asked me several questions related to whether I had done something that prompted him to do so or not, or whether I was inclined to flirt with me or not.”
She added that the administration did not take any action with the man, and she was told that the incident might not be proven, as no one witnessed its occurrence – so the investigation was closed.
Although more than 4,000 NHS staff were accused of rape, sexual assault, harassment, stalking or abusive remarks towards staff or other patients between 2017-2022, the medical journal and Guardian investigation found 576 people They just faced disciplinary action.
The Ministry of Health and Social Care said in a statement: “The Ministry of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Health Insurance Authority, and recently held an urgent meeting with the leaders of the Health Insurance Authority to discuss how to eradicate this despicable behavior, and ensure that services always remain safe for employees and patients.”
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