A recent survey, published in the British Journal of Surgery, reveals that nearly one in three female surgeons working in the NHS have been sexually assaulted over the past five years. Compiled by the University of Exeter and commissioned by The Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery, the study also reported eleven instances of rape among participating surgeons.
The survey showed that 29% of women experienced unwanted physical advances at work, with over 40% receiving unsolicited comments about their bodies and 38% subjected to sexual banter in the workplace. Shockingly, nearly 90% of women surveyed stated they had witnessed sexual misconduct in the past five years, with 81% of men providing a similar response.
The survey, one of the largest of its kind, analyzed 1,436 responses to an anonymous online survey. Its findings highlight a culture of unchecked sexual misconduct within the surgical environment, attributed to the hierarchical structure and gender-power imbalance, creating an unsafe working environment for both staff and patients.
Consultant surgeon Tamzin Cuming, chair of the Women in Surgery forum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, described the report as presenting “some of the most appalling facts ever to come out” about the field, characterizing it as a “MeToo moment for surgery.”
Cuming called for urgent change in the oversight of how healthcare investigates itself, advocating for a national implementation panel to oversee the report’s recommendations and independent investigations into incidents of sexual misconduct. She emphasized that no one should need a code of conduct stating, “‘please do not molest your work colleagues or students,’” yet this is one of the actions recommended by the report.
The survey results have been shared with NHS England, the General Medical Council, and the British Medical Association.
