Sexual safety: the implications for patient safety
Published
NHS staff
Patient and family
There is evidence of widespread sexism, sexual misconduct and harassment in healthcare. Between May and September 2024, HSSIB carried out exploratory work to consider the potential of conducting an investigation into patient safety risks associated with sexual safety.
3 observations
Safety Observations (3)
Health and care organisations can improve patient safety by capturing the impacts, events and circumstances where sexual safety incidents have affected the provision of safe care. This would help organisations to understand and assess the risks posed to patient safety.
Health and care organisations can reduce duplication of effort within sexual safety improvement work by increasing co-ordination and collaboration. This should accelerate and enhance the potential improvements across organisations.
There is an opportunity for health and care organisations to share learning around implementing the 10 principles of NHS England’s ‘Sexual safety in healthcare – organisational charter’. This would enhance shared knowledge, understanding and mechanisms for embedding the principles.