UNISON health conference yesterday (Monday) heard from a number of impassioned speakers on the disturbing subject of sexual harassment in the NHS.
The motion, ‘tackling sexual harassment in the NHS’ noted the “pervasive and deeply damaging issue across the NHS” that affects staff at all levels and contributes to “a culture of fear, silence, and inequality”.
This includes inappropriate comments, unwanted physical contact, and abuse of power. Despite existing policies, many incidents go unreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, and lack of trust in reporting mechanisms.
The 2025 NHS Staff Survey recorded 84,000 incidents of unwanted sexual behaviour, with 58,500 staff (8.67%) reporting harassment from patients or the public, and 26,000 (3.84%) from colleagues.
In proposing the motion for the national women’s committee, Amanda Sweetlove (pictured above) told delegates that she could not believe that sexual harassment was again on a conference agenda.
“Year after year, we pledge that we are going to tackle this and, year after year, here we are debating the issues again… This violence must end,” she said.
“Sexual harassment or assault is not a single incident for the victim. NHS workers who experience sexual harassment continue to feel the consequences long after the event. The abuse causes them to lose their confidence, both in their professional and private lives. It can affect the direction of their life, for the rest of their life.”
A broken system
A member of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service for 30 years, Ms Sweetlove recalled her own, first experience of sexual harassment, in her mid-twenties-20s, at the hands of a patient’s brother – the months she had to take off work, to recover, only to return to the “black humour” of colleagues at her expense that only prolonged her suffering.
“I can totally understand why public servants who have experienced sexual harassment are often too afraid of the repercussions to report their experiences at work,” she said. “They fear the stigma it might cause, or even retaliation from the perpetrator.”
A recent UNISON report found that 71% of staff in the NHS who were harassed did not formally report it, she said. “The system is broken. Survivors do not receive the support that they need, and we need to make changes.
“The problem is exacerbated by the working environment of the NHS, where under-resourced HR departments and hierarchical and nepotistic structures conspire to keep victims silent, and let perpetrators escape the consequences of their actions.
“Conference, I need you – all of us – to be furious about this issue, and we must channel our anger and our disgust into positive action. We must not lose heart. Support each other through the pain of these attacks, to help everyone feel strong enough to stand firmly up to ensure we win this fight and make it absolutely clear to perpetrators that their behaviour will not be accepted, and they will be punished.”
Gender-based violence
Maeve O’Neill of Foyle Health branch felt that it was important to acknowledge “the epidemic of gender-based violence” happening in Northern Ireland, where 30 women have been murdered since 2020, making it the most dangerous place in the UK and Ireland to be a woman, and the second most dangerous place to be a woman in Europe.
“Most importantly, I want to pay tribute to a former UNISON member, Amy Doherty, who was violently murdered in my city, Derry, three weeks ago, leaving behind two young children. Amy was a domiciliary care worker, one of the lowest paid health care workers, a job predominantly done by a woman, a job which is one of the most essential jobs in our community. It’s a job that does not deserve poverty pay.
“When we look at gender-based violence, we can’t ignore the impact that poverty pay has when trying to leave a violent relationship. So, in our fight for better pay, here, particularly for our lowest paid workers, we are not only fighting for better pay, we’re actually addressing this deeply rooted misogyny.
“Our society is dripping in sexism. Undoing the scourge of gender-based violence will only happen if its structural underpinnings are completely uprooted. So, whether that’s eradicating sexual harassment in the workplace, whether that’s ending poverty pay, whether that’s ensuring safety for those facing domestic abuse, uprooting misogyny will be liberating for everyone and all genders.”
Standing shoulder to shoulder
Like many others, Angela Feeney, chair of Lanarkshire Health branch, also felt frustration and anger that sexual harassment still had to be discussed at conference. “As a rep in 2026 I am taking calls from distressed women calling our branch, who have been sexually harassed whilst at work doing the most vital jobs. This is happening in 2026 not 1976 and we’re all tired of it.
“Our branch is stepping up and putting women first. We have started a women’s committee and recently sent out a questionnaire asking women for their experiences within the workplace. It has found something very disturbing. Women feel that they do not want to make their concerns official, because they feel it would make it worse. As reps, we should stand shoulder to shoulder with these women, and we must give them the confidence and empower them to take it on.”
Amanda Sweetlove mentioned the new laws in relation to sexual harassment, introduced by the Employment Rights Act this year; these include a requirement on employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent harassment by third parties, and greater protections under whistleblowing laws to workers disclosing sexual harassment.
“It’s an overdue legislation and a result of years of hard work by the unions,” she said. “But a law in itself won’t make a difference.” The difference, she said, will be what members do in their branches. “Don’t just listen. Really hear what’s being said. Work together. We must and can support survivors and ensure that employers step up and do what they have to do, and perpetrators are held to account and get their punishment.”
Conference called on the health service group executive to:
- Develop guidance that supports branches to lobby their employers to implement clear, accessible reporting mechanisms that protect confidentiality and prevent retaliation.
- Support branches to negotiate stronger anti-harassment policies, including survivor support and accountability measures.
- Work with UNISON’s national women’s committee and equality structures to ensure intersectional approaches that reflect the experiences of Black, disabled, LGBT+, young and migrant workers.
LGBT+ workers
A further motion addressed the sexual safety of LGBT+ workers in the NHS. Proposing the motion for the national LGBT+ committee Christiane Fadipe (pictured above) said that, while sexual harassment was “entrenched” in the NHS, for LGBT+ workers the risks were “significantly higher”. In fact, TUC research found that that 68% of LGBT+ workers faced some sort of sexual harassment at work, with trans and non-binary people at the greatest risk.
“And what makes it worse is fear of reporting, fear of not being believed, the fear that when you do speak up, nothing is done,” she said. “But sexual safety is not a privilege. It is a basic right. And silence will not protect us.”
Conference called on the service group executive to work with the national LGBT+ committee to:
- Ensure that sexual safety remains a priority across all workplaces
- Develop and promote guidance, training, and resources that address the unique experiences of LGBT+ staff, with a particular focus on trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse NHS workers.
- Work and campaign with NHS employers to strengthen reporting mechanisms and embed zero-tolerance policies on sexual harassment, ensuring staff feel safe to speak up about harassment from patients, visitors, or colleagues without fear of reprisal.
