Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 effectiveness of sexual misconduct policies implemented by NHS integrated care boards for protecting NHS staff from sexual misconduct by other staff members.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Sexual misconduct of any kind has no place in the National Health Service. NHS England is actively working to ensure that the NHS is a safe environment for employees, patients, and visitors.
NHS England published the Sexual Safety Charter in 2023, setting out the principles we expect all NHS organisations to uphold. Every integrated care board (ICB) and NHS trust has now signed up to the charter and are in the process of assuring themselves that actions are being taken against all principles. Further information on the Sexual Safety Charter is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/sexual-safety-in-healthcare-organisational-charter/
In 2024, all ICBs and NHS trusts were asked to implement the Sexual Misconduct Policy Framework which proposes that NHS organisations adopt, among other things, anonymous reporting mechanisms for staff. In line with this policy, approximately three quarters of all trusts have adopted anonymous reporting of sexual misconduct allegations. Further information on the Sexual Misconduct Policy Framework is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-people-sexual-misconduct-policy-framework/
From August 2025, all trusts and ICBs were required to audit their sexual misconduct policies, review and update relevant policies, such as information sharing and chaperoning, and keep Electronic Staff Records up to date with ongoing and completed staff investigations.
In December 2025, all trusts and ICBs were required to redouble their efforts in relation to sexual misconduct. This includes participating in nationally commissioned training on investigating sexual misconduct cases, ensuring they have a pool of specially trained doctors and dentists, and implementing review groups for cases where there is a sexual dimension to allegations. A further requirement on ICBs and trusts to audit their sexual misconduct policies was issued at this time
The Government will introduce a new set of standards for modern employment in April 2026. The new standards are likely to focus on areas such as improving staff health and wellbeing and dealing with violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace. They will provide a framework for leaders across the NHS to build a supportive culture.
While important progress is being made on sexual misconduct policies, the Government is clear that we will continue to monitor and take all necessary action to address sexual misconduct in the NHS.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of including anti-racism measures in the Competence and Conduct Standard for social landlords on the levels of homelessness amongst people from Black ethnic groups.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A Public Sector Equalities Assessment was published as part of our consultation on the detailed policy supporting the competence and conduct standard for social housing staff. It can be found here.
It considered the impact the new standards might have for people with protected characteristics. This assessment was then reviewed in light of feedback received through the consultation.
The Competence and Conduct standard requires senior housing managers and executives to undertake qualifications which develop their knowledge and skills of housing management and engagement with tenants in relation to: equality, diversity and inclusion; awareness of a range of needs and vulnerabilities; effective engagement with tenants; and delivering respectful and professional housing services.
These criteria are designed to improve the experience of social housing tenants by ensuring senior staff can understand and respond to the diverse needs of tenants, including those related to age, disability, race, gender, and other protected characteristics.
The Regulator’s Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, which came into force in April 2024, also places clear requirements on landlords to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for their tenants and prospective tenants. This includes using relevant information and data to understand the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics to deliver more inclusive services.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 trends in the level of attacks on healthcare workers in the last 12 months.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Everyone working in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe at work. Trends in violence towards NHS staff have generally stayed at the same levels in recent years.
Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, and they put in place measures, including security, training, and emotional support, for staff affected by violence. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that there is zero tolerance of violence and harassment against NHS staff, and in April 2025 accepted all the Social Partnership Forum’s recommendations on tackling and reducing violence, part of the 2023 Agenda for Change pay deal. These measures will be strengthened by the introduction of a new set of staff standards, as detailed in the 10-Year Health Plan. These are likely to focus on areas such as improving staff health and wellbeing and dealing with violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve the recruitment and retention of staff in women’s health services in Hampshire.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals.
To support this ambition, the Government plans to introduce a new set of standards for modern employment in April 2026. The new standards will reaffirm our commitment to improving retention by tackling the issues that matter to staff including promoting flexible working, improving staff health and wellbeing, and dealing with violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace. They will provide a framework for leaders across the NHS to build a supportive culture that embeds retention.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of staff in women’s health services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals.
To support this ambition, the Government plans to introduce a new set of standards for modern employment in April 2026. The new standards will reaffirm our commitment to improving retention by tackling the issues that matter to staff including promoting flexible working, improving staff health and wellbeing, and dealing with violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the NHS workplace. They will provide a framework for leaders across the NHS to build a supportive culture that embeds retention.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Home Office intends to publish a formal follow-up to the Casey Review’s recommendations on systemic racism in policing.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 17 December 2025, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Mayor of London announced an independent review of the force’s progress against Baroness Casey’s 2023 report, to be chaired by Dr Gillian Fairfield.
The follow-up review is a matter for the MPS, in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of staff sickness levels within East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust; and what support is being provided to reduce sickness absence.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As of July 2025, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) had an average annual sickness absence rate of 7.6%. This has remained at the same rate as the average for the 12 months to July 2024. The EEAST average annual sickness absence rate is 0.9 percentage points higher than the average annual sickness absence rate for all ambulance trusts in England, which is 6.7%. This difference has been consistent across the past five years.
NHS England publishes monthly information on the sickness absence rates of staff in National Health Service bodies, which is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-sickness-absence-rates
The primary cause for sickness absence amongst professionally qualified ambulance staff remains, anxiety, depression and mental health conditions.
The EEAST recognises that its sickness levels remain high and is committed to reducing these while ensuring its staff are properly supported.
The EEAST continues to work with system partners on effective measures to ensure its staff can handover patients safely as soon as possible and has taken actions to address its sickness levels. These include training for line managers on how to best support staff, a wide-ranging health and wellbeing offer, and temporary and permanent redeployment.
Local employers across the NHS have in place arrangements for supporting staff including occupational health provision, employee support programmes and a focus on healthy working environments.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs to ensure all staff have access to high quality occupational health support, including for mental health and musculoskeletal conditions, the two main causes of sickness absence in the NHS.
To further support this ambition, we are working with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) support the health and wellbeing of and (b) prevent stress and burn out in the NHS workforce.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is a top priority.
Local employers across the NHS have arrangements in place to support staff including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments. At a national level, NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints have been referred to Professional Standards Unit in last five years, how were they categorised and how many were (a) upheld and (b) rejected.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Professional Standards Unit (PSU) received 1265 referrals of complaint between 1 April 2020 to 5 December 2025
The complaints were categorised as, Assault, Corruption, Failure in Duty or Care, Honesty and Integrity Issues, Racism and other Discrimination, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Theft, Unfair Treatment and Unprofessional Conduct
Of the referrals received, 291 were investigated by the PSU with the remaining referrals cascaded to local complaint teams in the Home Office.
42 investigations substantiated or partially substantiated the allegations made by the complainant and 249 were unsubstantiated.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to help ensure that international medical students and trainees working in UK health services are protected from racial discrimination and workplace hostility.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Any form of racism or discrimination is unacceptable and has no place in our National Health Service.
The NHS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Improvement Plan, published in 2023, recognises that we benefit from the skills, expertise, and commitment of internationally recruited healthcare professionals and highlights the important role that NHS organisations have to play in making staff feel welcomed and valued at the start of their career. NHS organisations are expected to review their data by protected characteristics on bullying, harassment, discrimination, and violence and make plans to improve staff experience year on year.
Additionally, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment which will include tackling racism and reducing violence against staff. The standards will be underpinned by the NHS Oversight Framework and the Care Quality Commission assessment framework.