Medical students are experiencing “concerning levels of sexual violence, including criminal sexual offences” while studying, a new report suggests.1
A report from the BMA, produced in collaboration with the campaign group Surviving in Scrubs, warns that major flaws in safeguarding have led to a breakdown in trust between students and institutions.
The report finding have prompted renewed calls for all UK medical schools to sign up to NHS England’s sexual safety in healthcare charter.2 The charter has been adopted by every integrated care board and NHS trust in England but only by five of the 36 medical schools in England. Sexual safety campaigners have repeatedly called on medical schools to sign up.34
It was launched after a joint investigation by The BMJ and the Guardian found that NHS trusts were failing to protect staff and patients from sexual abuse and harassment and only one in 10 had a dedicated policy on how to deal with cases and try to prevent them.5
For the report, medical students were asked to share their experiences of sexism and sexual violence at university, including while on clinical placement.
The self-selecting survey had 968 responses. Some 37% of …
