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Sexual misconduct and harassment in surgery

19 September 2023 by SCTS

The Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS) condemns the unacceptable behaviour reported in the recent British Journal of Surgery study1.  This report focused on the experiences of female surgeons, but all members of the multidisciplinary surgical workforce are vulnerable – surgeons, other doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.  Sexual misconduct and harassment have no place in surgery, healthcare in general, or broader society. Everyone should have a right to work in a safe and respectful environment without fear, and everyone should be responsible for challenging unacceptable behaviour. Sexual misconduct harms individual well-being and team performance, and contributes to a poorer quality of patient care. 

The SCTS is committed to working with the Royal Colleges and other healthcare organisations to change this damaging culture in surgery, consistent with the principles outlined in the NHS organisational charter on sexual safety in healthcare2. The Society fully supports the recommendations of the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery report ‘Breaking the Silence: Addressing Sexual Misconduct in Healthcare’3 to change the reporting and investigation of sexual misconduct, improve confidence in raising concerns, ensure investigations are fit for purpose, and most importantly, improve the environment that we experience in the workplace everyday.  The SCTS has zero tolerance towards sexual misconduct and is dedicated to supporting any member of the cardiothoracic workforce who experiences this or any other unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.

The Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain & Ireland

Attachments: 

1. Begeny, C. T. et al. Sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape by colleagues in the surgical workforce, and how women and men are living different realities: observational study using NHS population-derived weights. Br. J. Surg. znad242 (2023) doi:10.1093/bjs/znad242. 

2. Sexual safety in healthcare – NHS organisational charter.

3. Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery report ‘Breaking the Silence: Addressing Sexual Misconduct in Healthcare’ .

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