RCS England responds to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service’s (MPTS) new guidance to support decision making in sexual misconduct cases
01 Oct 2025
Professor Vivien Lees, Senior Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:
“The changes introduced by the MPTS are a welcome step forward. It is encouraging to see that the surgical and wider healthcare community has been listened to, and that the guidance is being strengthened. The real test will be in how this guidance will be applied.
“The current system of medical regulation is failing targets of misconduct. Instead of delivering justice, the system often compounds trauma, allows perpetrators to remain in positions of authority, and ultimately undermines patient care.
“Tribunal panels frequently lack the necessary training and support mechanisms for witnesses. We are hopeful that these changes will lead to better support for targets, greater accountability for perpetrators, and foster a culture of safety, respect, and integrity across healthcare.
“To protect staff, ensure patient safety, and maintain public trust, these changes must be implemented consistently and transparently, with robust education for tribunal panels and meaningful support for those going through the process – working in close collaboration with the GMC.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Find out more about the MPTS and the new issued guidance here.
2. The MPTS run tribunal services for medical practitioners and the DPHS runs the tribunal service for those working in dentistry.
3. Research published last month in The Bulletin of the Royal College of Surgeons of England found that in nearly one in four cases, the sanctions imposed by MPTS tribunals were more lenient than those proposed by the General Medical Council (GMC), the UK’s independent regulator for doctors.
4. The study analysed 222 new MPTS tribunal cases heard between August 2023 and August 2024. Of these cases, 55 involved sexual misconduct – 46 of which were found to have impaired fitness to practise. 35 of the remaining 46 sexual misconduct cases identified in this study the MPTS tribunal imposed the same sanction as that proposed by the GMC, for the remaining 11 cases (23.9%) the GMC proposed erasure from the register, but the tribunal decided on suspension only.
5. Since the publication of The Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery’s (WPSMS) report Breaking the Silence: Addressing Sexual Misconduct in Healthcare and the in-depth study published by the British Journal of Surgery, we have redoubled our efforts to stamp out sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. You can read more about the work RCS England is doing on sexual misconduct here: Sexual misconduct in surgery
6. Our role as a Royal College is rooted in education, awareness and standard setting. We are also committed to developing and signposting impactful, targeted resources and training on being an active bystander, with specific reference to incidents of sexual misconduct.
7. 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.
8. 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.
“The changes introduced by the MPTS are a welcome step forward. It is encouraging to see that the surgical and wider healthcare community has been listened to, and that the guidance is being strengthened. The real test will be in how this guidance will be applied.
“The current system of medical regulation is failing targets of misconduct. Instead of delivering justice, the system often compounds trauma, allows perpetrators to remain in positions of authority, and ultimately undermines patient care.
“Tribunal panels frequently lack the necessary training and support mechanisms for witnesses. We are hopeful that these changes will lead to better support for targets, greater accountability for perpetrators, and foster a culture of safety, respect, and integrity across healthcare.
“To protect staff, ensure patient safety, and maintain public trust, these changes must be implemented consistently and transparently, with robust education for tribunal panels and meaningful support for those going through the process – working in close collaboration with the GMC.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Find out more about the MPTS and the new issued guidance here.
2. The MPTS run tribunal services for medical practitioners and the DPHS runs the tribunal service for those working in dentistry.
3. Research published last month in The Bulletin of the Royal College of Surgeons of England found that in nearly one in four cases, the sanctions imposed by MPTS tribunals were more lenient than those proposed by the General Medical Council (GMC), the UK’s independent regulator for doctors.
4. The study analysed 222 new MPTS tribunal cases heard between August 2023 and August 2024. Of these cases, 55 involved sexual misconduct – 46 of which were found to have impaired fitness to practise. 35 of the remaining 46 sexual misconduct cases identified in this study the MPTS tribunal imposed the same sanction as that proposed by the GMC, for the remaining 11 cases (23.9%) the GMC proposed erasure from the register, but the tribunal decided on suspension only.
5. Since the publication of The Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery’s (WPSMS) report Breaking the Silence: Addressing Sexual Misconduct in Healthcare and the in-depth study published by the British Journal of Surgery, we have redoubled our efforts to stamp out sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. You can read more about the work RCS England is doing on sexual misconduct here: Sexual misconduct in surgery
6. Our role as a Royal College is rooted in education, awareness and standard setting. We are also committed to developing and signposting impactful, targeted resources and training on being an active bystander, with specific reference to incidents of sexual misconduct.
7. 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.
8. 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.