Surgeons respond to announcement that the NHS will rate trusts according to how well they tackle racism, violence and sexual misconduct towards staff

Responding to the NHS setting the first-ever staff standards to tackle racism, violence and sexual safety, Mr Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said: 

“Too many staff still experience harassment and racism at work, so it is right that NHS organisations are being held to account for tackling this. 

“Every member of staff deserves to feel safe, respected and supported. That’s why we’ve repeatedly called for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to establish a national, independent and anonymous reporting mechanism for NHS staff who have been targets of sexual misconduct. Staff must be able to come forward without fear of retaliation, confident their concerns will be handled impartially and with compassion.” 

ENDS 

Notes to editors

1. 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.

2. 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

3. 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.   

4. 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