Surgeons call for ‘national anonymous reporting’ as MPTS data shows colleagues were most common subject of alleged sexual misconduct

More than a third of sexual misconduct allegation types recorded at doctors’ tribunals involved a healthcare colleague, new data from the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) has revealed.

The MPTS data shows that 37.5% of sexual misconduct allegation types recorded at its tribunals in 2025 involved a healthcare colleague, with allegations involving patients following closely behind at 35.4%.

Of the 48 sexual misconduct allegation types recorded by the MPTS in 2025:

- 18 involved a colleague

- 17 involved a patient

- 11 involved others, including online offences

- 2 involved a relative or someone known to the doctor

In some cases, doctors may have faced allegations made by more than one person, covering more than one category.

Responding to the new data Tim Lane, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:

“These findings are deeply concerning. The fact that healthcare colleagues were the most common target of sexual misconduct allegations heard by tribunals makes clear the need for everyone working in healthcare to feel safe, respected and supported at work.

“The publication of this data is an important step forward. Following calls from RCS England, this is the first time that MPTS has published information of this nature, giving us a clearer picture of the patterns of sexual misconduct cases coming before tribunals.

“Transparency matters. It helps us understand the scale of the problem, identify emerging trends, assess whether reforms are working, and build confidence that concerns are being taken seriously.

“But transparency is not enough. It must lead to action. We continue to call for a national, independent and anonymous reporting mechanism so that healthcare professionals can raise concerns about sexual misconduct safely and without fear of repercussions.”

RCS England has also called for the publication of better data on sexual misconduct to be accompanied by practical action to make it easier and safer for healthcare professionals to report concerns.

The MPTS has said the new data should support a wider conversation across the healthcare system about how sexual misconduct can be prevented and addressed earlier. RCS England believes this conversation must lead to meaningful changes in how concerns are reported, investigated and acted upon.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The MPTS recorded 270 allegation types across all categories in 2025, compared with 160 hearings. This is because some hearings considered multiple types of allegations. Sexual misconduct was the second most common allegation type recorded by the MPTS in 2025, accounting for 17.8 per cent of all allegation types, behind dishonesty at 27.4 per cent.

2. Within RCS England, our code of conduct is clear: we have zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment or abuse of any kind. Every bit of scrutiny helps us build safer workplaces for staff and safer care for patients.

3. See more on RCS England's work to tackle sexual misconduct in surgery: Turning the tide: Progress and actions to support targets of sexual misconduct in surgery — Royal College of Surgeons

4. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients. 

5. For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6047; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056