Vascular Society Council Response to Sexual Misconduct in Surgery Report

13 September 2023

The Vascular Society Council would like to express our revulsion and sadness about the results of the commissioned working party report on sexual misconduct in surgery.

The workplace must be a safe environment for all, with zero tolerance for unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviour in the workplace.

We are pleased that this report has broken the silence on this shockingly common behaviour in surgery. Our council members are committed to working with our membership to provide support, education and leadership to highlight the effects of such destructive and demeaning behaviour and to provide colleagues effective strategies to manage it. 

Our working environments must be changed to give colleagues the confidence that these issues can be raised and effectively dealt with. In this respect the Vascular Society supports the NHS England sexual safety charter published on 8th September (https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/sexual-safety-in-healthcare-organisational-charter/#organisations-that-have-signed-the-charter).

We advise anyone affected by this issue to seek specialist support from their NHS Trust, the BMA or a Surgical Royal College.

 

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