A new study in the United Kingdom reveals every third female surgeon endures some form of sexual assault in the workplace, including rape.
A recent study by the University of Surrey and Exeter University reveals the issue of sexual misconduct within the United Kingdom surgical workforce, highlighting that women are disproportionately affected.
The study shows that both women and men surgeons have been experiencing sexual misconduct in the workplace over the past five years in which 63% of women reported sexual harassment by colleagues, while 24% of men claimed the same.
Published on September 12 in the British Journal of Surgery, the research was conducted through an anonymous online survey of 1,434 medical participants, of which 51.5% were women. The goal was to bring attention to various forms of sexual harassment endured by healthcare professionals, especially women, in their workplace.
Forms of harassment ranged from inappropriate comments to physical contact, like groping genital areas and rape. At least 11 cases of rape were recorded — during operations, teaching sessions, conferences, and after-work events — although the study’s authors emphasize that the actual number may be much higher due to non-reporting and the small survey sample.
Harassment in the UK health field workplace
The research also shows that 30% of women experienced sexual assault by colleagues, whereas 7% of men experienced the same. Sexual coercion or forced physical contact for career advancement was reported by 11% of women. Apart from personal experience, the majority of participants reported being a witness to some form of sexual misconduct.
The study argues that the National Health Service (NHS), the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Health Education England and Royal Colleges, the organizations ensuring healthcare workers’ safety, don’t adequately address the issue of sexual misconduct between medical professionals and within healthcare. None of the three organizations have issued a formal statement regarding the study for now.
Earlier in May, a joint investigation between the British Medical Journal and The Guardian revealed that NHS trusts documented over 35,000 incidents of rape, sexual assault, harassment and stalking between 2017 and 2022.
Furthermore, the investigation concluded fewer than one in 10 trusts had introduced policies to address the issue and thus failed to protect the medical staff.
7% of doctors in the UK who experienced sexual harassment left their jobs
This prompted the GMC in August to create new medical practices that will enter force in January 2024. With the new protocol, it has been worded for the first time that the medical personnel must “not act in a sexual way toward colleagues with the effect or purpose of causing offense, embarrassment, humiliation or distress,” which can include – but isn’t limited to – verbal or written comments, displaying or sharing images of sexual nature, as well as any “unwelcome physical contact.”
But the research also indicated a lack of faith in the responses from the organizations. Only 16% of women considered NHS Trusts to be adequate in handling sexual misconduct cases, and 15% had confidence in the GMC’s effectiveness in this regard.
The situation also has consequences on the staff available to take care of patients, as 7% of doctors who have experienced sexual harassment left their jobs, according to a 2019 report from UK doctors.
One former employee who now prefers making hats, Fleur Curtis, 43, decided to share her story, calling the situation in the UK “disheartening.” As a physician associate at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, a mid-size city northwest of Birmingham, she was sexually assaulted by a junior doctor in 2016 and 2017 on three occasions. She reported the incident and called for the doctor’s suspension. The investigation unveiled a series of similar complaints against the doctor, which ultimately led to his dismissal. But despite facing criminal charges for sexual assault, the doctor was acquitted.
Even though the hospitals have a prompt response following a complaint, the justice system does not always prevail. According to NHS data obtained by The Telegraph, there were 807 health staff members in the UK accused of sexually harassing a colleague or a patient from 2017 to 2022, but only 45 of them were found guilty.
