GP practices to prove they follow NHS sexual safety charter by March
All GP practices must prove they are following the principles of the Sexual Safety Charter by March next year, NHS England has announced.
This includes large practices having to appoint a ‘sexual safety’ lead.
NHS England has asked ‘all primary care providers’ to complete a new self-assurance checklist by 31 March 2026, and to confirm they have done so with their ICB lead.
The charter, announced in 2023, set out plans for every NHS trust and local health system in England to have a domestic abuse and sexual violence lead to help both patients and staff to report incidents and get the help that they need.
The checklist includes actions for each of the charter’s 10 principles, with the level of oversight varying with the size of the GP practice.
On the principle to communicate ‘expected action for those who witness inappropriate, unwanted and/or harmful sexual behaviour’, larger practices (employing more than 100 staff) should appoint a senior lead for sexual safety.
NHS England has also asked all primary care providers to ensure members of staff complete a national sexual safety e-learning module; review their chaperoning policies in line with newly published principles; and ensure reporting to NHS England, and, where applicable, to CQC and police, is embedded in sexual misconduct incident management.
GP practices should also make staff aware of ‘speaking up routes’ including providing contact details for freedom to speak up (FTSU) guardians.
On capturing and sharing data on the prevalence of sexual misconduct, NHS England suggested GP practices ‘reach out’ to ICBs to ‘show interest’ in taking part in next year’s GP Staff Survey.
From last month, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) uses a new banding system to determine sanctions for doctors found unfit to practise medicine on serious allegations, including sexual misconduct.
Meanwhile, a ‘disheartening’ survey from the BMA and Surviving in Scrubs revealed two in five (41%) female medical students in the UK have suffered from sexual violence, and 18% of respondents said they had been targeted by sexual harassment or assault while on clinical placement.
Sexual safety charter
- We will actively work to eradicate sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace.
- We will promote a culture that fosters openness and transparency, and does not tolerate unwanted, harmful and/or inappropriate sexual behaviours.
- We will take an intersectional approach to the sexual safety of our workforce, recognising certain groups will experience sexual harassment and abuse at a disproportionate rate.
- We will provide appropriate support for those in our workforce who experience unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours.
- We will clearly communicate standards of behaviour. This includes expected action for those who witness inappropriate, unwanted and/or harmful sexual behaviour.
- We will ensure appropriate, specific, and clear policies are in place. They will include appropriate and timely action against alleged perpetrators.
- We will ensure appropriate, specific, and clear training is in place.
- We will ensure appropriate reporting mechanisms are in place for those experiencing these behaviours.
- We will take all reports seriously and appropriate and timely action will be taken in all cases.
- We will capture and share data on prevalence and staff experience transparently.
Source: NHS England
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“We will take an intersectional approach to the sexual safety of our workforce, recognising certain groups will experience sexual harassment and abuse at a disproportionate rate.”
The terminology in Principle 3 is controversial. It normalises the Critical Social Justice theory which promotes identity politics and hierarchies of victimhood. The act of sexual harassment and violence is what should be addressed, not the identity of the victim.
This should not be introduced into a workplace safety policy and doing so risks distraction from the aims of the policy.
One more thing – how is the ‘must’ mandate imposed on GP practices which are independent organisations? Is it another gem in the contract?
People fart. A person signalling libertarian views would push their dogma about an individual’s God-given sovereign right to fart “trumping” all other considerations. They would be triggered by words like “intersectional” and by any attempt to curtail wind-breaking or letting one rip and condemn it as Critical Fart Theory, on the grounds that it questions, whether in a social setting, trouser trumpeting is acceptable.
Imo, this free person may blow off or butt burp or release a growler, but at least just abide by the sexual safety charter.
UK Government micromanagement is the gift that keeps on giving. I’m Canada this would require funding or jog on otherwise. Hence this red tape just doesn’t exist.