Any instance of sexual violence, harassment or abuse in the NHS is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. On 5 December 2025, NHS England set out further actions for all trusts and integrated care boards, so that they can redouble their efforts and take swift and robust action to tackle sexual misconduct in the health service. This builds on action already taken to address sexual violence, harassment or abuse in the NHS.
In September 2023, the sexual safety charter was published by NHS England, and every trust and integrated care board has signed up to the charter now. In October 2024, NHS England produced a sexual misconduct policy framework, which it urged trusts and ICBs to adopt or adapt. E-learning was also introduced to support awareness of sexual safety in the NHS. In August 2025, NHS England set out further actions for all trusts and ICBs to take to identify and act against potential perpetrators of sexual misconduct in the NHS:
Complete an audit on their sexual misconduct policies.
Review policies, such as information sharing and chaperoning policies, to ensure that they are up to date.
Staff to complete training modules on sexual misconduct.
Keep electronic staff records up to date, with ongoing and complete investigations into staff.
The most recent letter went further still, by setting out new actions for trusts and ICBs:
Take part in national training on sexual misconduct investigations.
Ensure a pool of doctors or dentists have received specialist training in sexual misconduct.
Ask all primary care providers to sign up to the sexual safety charter, self-assess themselves, and confirm with their ICB that they have done so.
Principles to be reflected in chaperoning policies to ensure that chaperones are being used correctly and in an auditable way by providers.
Review groups to be adopted for sexual misconduct cases.
Issued a further audit on sexual misconduct policies for all trusts and ICBs to complete.
The Department of Health and Social Care fully endorses the actions taken by NHS England, and expects them to be rigorously implemented. The Department will require ongoing updates from NHS England on implementation on a quarterly basis. You can find further detail of the actions in the NHS England letters.
The NHS operates a robust approach to sexual misconduct. The Department of Health and Social Care stands with NHS England to take all necessary action to identify sexual perpetrators, and prevent them having access to our NHS. Together, we will continue to monitor and take all necessary action to help ensure the sexual safety of everyone accessing the NHS.
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