Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the sexual harassment of NHS staff on (a) patient safety and (b) quality of patient care.

Bullying and harassment are never acceptable in any National Health Service workplace, and the wellbeing of staff is paramount to the provision of safe patient care. All NHS organisations have clear policies in place to deal with reports of harassment and bullying. The Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, who are now in place across all NHS trusts in England provide a safe place where staff can discuss their concerns about both practice and behaviours in the NHS.

As part of its inspection of individual providers and services, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carries out an assessment of whether providers have a strong emphasis on the safety and wellbeing of staff. This takes place under the Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE) ‘well-led’ framework, as an important influence on the culture of the organisation and the quality of care delivered.