Dental Protection has welcomed steps taken by NHS England to ensure sexual misconduct in the workplace is recognised, reported and acted on, and that staff affected feel supported.
The new NHS England policy and framework, published on 16 October, includes an option of reporting sexual abuse through an anonymous form for those who feel uncomfortable disclosing their name but want the incident to be properly investigated.
All NHS employees, non-executive directors, volunteers, agency and bank workers, students and learners, contractors, secondees and interns can use this policy to report sexual misconduct.
Raj Rattan, Dental Director at Dental Protection said: “The steps set out to tackle sexual misconduct in the NHS, and better support those affected, are welcome. All healthcare workers, dental professionals included, need to be reassured that their safety is a priority.
“Experiencing or witnessing sexual misconduct – whether from a patient or a colleague – can lead to emotional distress and long-term psychological harm. It can affect the individual’s ability to perform their professional duties which in turn compromises the quality of patient care.
“It is vital that the new policy and guidance is implemented and integrated into everyday practice to protect the workforce. Seeing that it is being adopted and enforced will send a strong and clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.”
