We deserve an NHS in which staff and patients are safe from harm

The NHS is an institution of which Britain ought to be proud. But The Independent’s catalogue of exposés about sexual assault and harassment within the health service makes for grim reading.

From the shocking number of sexual assaults on patients and staff within NHS-run mental health services to the complaints of alleged sexual violence in psychiatric hospitals, only a small proportion of which have led to charges, and the sexual harassment of trainee paramedics, it is clear that things cannot continue as they are.

Now, the senior official overseeing the NHS workforce has added her voice to the chorus of calls for change that has arisen in the wake of our reporting.

Dr Navina Evans – who as chief workforce officer at NHS England is responsible for the 1.4 million people who work in the NHS – has called the problem of sexual assault within the health service “shameful”. She has told The Independent that it is “a significant problem” and that it is “everywhere” in the NHS.

Dr Evans’s intervention comes after the health secretary, Victoria Atkins, called on mental health patients and staff to report the “horrific” sexual abuse allegations previously uncovered by The Independent, saying she would offer her full support if the claims were reported to the police. It also follows the chief executive of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, writing for this publication earlier this month that the NHS is in need of a #MeToo moment to call out such behaviour – and must ensure that it is “stamped out”.

A recent survey of NHS staff found that last year, one in eight workers – more than 58,000 people – experienced sexual harassment from patients, the relatives of patients, or other members of the public. Almost 26,000 also reported having been subjected to unwanted sexual behaviour by colleagues.

Ms Atkins said earlier this year that a review of mental health services – also sparked by The Independent’s reporting – would now look into sexual assault in that sector. All of this is to be welcomed, but as Dr Evans says today, the situation is shameful and leaves a stain on a national institution.

Recognising that change needs to be made is one thing, but action needs to be taken as swiftly as possible. Reviews and other such interventions are obviously useful, and can help those in charge to understand fully the extent of the problem, but the process cannot be drawn out for too long.

The picture that our reporting paints is obvious, so action needs to start urgently. The current state of affairs cannot be left to fester.

This deeply troubling problem within the NHS has not appeared overnight. The numbers involved point to an issue that has been allowed to take root. That is all the more reason to act swiftly. With an election on the horizon, and the polls suggesting that a change of government is coming, the problem of sexual assault and harassment across the health service cannot be allowed to slip quietly into the long grass. Words need to be backed by deeds.

Those, such as Dr Evans, who have spoken out about the problem are to be applauded. Talking about it openly will mean that more victims will be empowered to come forward with their stories, and will increase the pressure for change. The Independent will keep reporting on what is a vitally important issue, bringing those stories into the light – but it is up to the government, and officials within the NHS, to ensure that steps are taken to rid the health service of this scourge.

Patients, staff, and the public at large all deserve an NHS that works in their best interests.