A worrying rise in reports of sexual assaults in NHS hospitals has emerged between 2020 and 2025
More than 12,000 alleged sexual assaults reported in NHS hospitals since 2020.
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Alamy
More than 12,000 reports of alleged sexual assault have been recorded in NHS hospitals across the UK over the past five years, an LBC investigation has found.
Data obtained from 75 NHS trusts shows a 75 per cent increase in reports of sexual assaults in hospitals in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland between 2020 and 2025.
Perhaps most alarmingly, in over 600 of these cases, the alleged perpetrator was a member of hospital staff.
Charlotte Mensah, 27, is a sickle cell patient who has been a wheelchair user since birth.
Her condition, which she describes as “feeling like being stabbed by a flaming sword every time [her] heart beats”, has required careful monitoring and frequent inpatient stays.
Four years ago, however, she was sexually assaulted by a cleaner at Hammersmith Hospital.
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Charlotte Mensah, 27, is a sickle cell patient who has been a wheelchair user since birth.
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Charlotte Mensah
“He would call me beautiful and he said I was so innocent,” Charlotte recalled. “He even said, ‘I would love to take you out to dinner’, which is crazy for an NHS staff member to say to a patient.
“He would come in unannounced. He came into my room and went to my bed when I was changing, my curtains were drawn and I was topless. When he came in, he saw my breasts.
“He didn’t leave. He distracted me by talking and then suddenly pulled his mask down and kissed me. He touched my face, arms and legs.”
Charlotte, who has waived her right to anonymity, told LBC she was abused on five separate occasions after being admitted in 2022.
Despite this, she claims it took over six months for the cleaner, who was more than twice her age, to be removed from her ward.
“I came across him when I was going for an X-ray, which was really scary because we made eye contact… he could have snuck back onto the ward to come and assault me again.”
Following the collapse of police proceedings, Charlotte pursued a civil case and was awarded £7,000 by Hammersmith Hospital in a settlement.
“It made me so depressed. I saw a psychiatrist and they diagnosed me with depression, anxiety and PTSD because I was sexually assaulted by that cleaner.
More than 12,000 alleged sexual assaults reported in NHS hospitals since 2020.
Picture:
Alamy
“Every time I have to go into hospital, it brings the whole experience back again… it’s also made me scared of other staff members, especially male staff members.
“I just want to say to them, treat me like a normal person, not like I’m some other species beneath you.”
A spokesperson for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which represents Hammersmith Hospital, apologised for the distress Charlotte experienced and acknowledged that they “did not get everything right” in their response. They said, however, her allegations were immediately investigated, and steps have been taken to improve safeguarding.
LBC also found a year-on-year increase in sexual assault cases reported against patients, staff, and members of the public in hospital, rising from 1,476 in 2020 to 2,590 in 2025.
Out of the 75 trusts who held information, only 14 trusts could confirm the number of sexual assaults that were reported to police and how many resulted in an arrest, charge or conviction. According to this data, 16 ended in police or court action.
Former Health Secretary Sir Jeremy Hunt told Nick Ferrari that while he didn’t want to suggest the NHS was worse than other healthcare systems for the problem, he believes safeguarding problems “get worse when people don’t know who is responsible for individual patients”.
Elizabeth Duncan, a solicitor at Slee Blackwell, who represented Charlotte in her case against Hammersmith Hospital, said she was “saddened but not surprised” by the scale of LBC’s findings, and warned successful prosecutions are “almost unheard of.”
“When people are in hospital, they’re at their most vulnerable… we do see a lot of people who go through this when they’re inpatient.”
She explained that hospitals can only be held responsible when the abuse is closely linked to the staff member’s patient-facing role and duties.
“The vulnerability of the person who’s endured the assault is hurdle number one. Then it can be very difficult to establish that the trust is liable. Nobody is employed to sexually assault somebody, so you have to prove it was closely connected to their role.”
Charlotte was sexually assaulted at Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road.
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Alamy
In some cases, hospital trusts have denied responsibility by arguing that alleged perpetrators, such as cleaners or caretakers, were not working in patient-facing positions.
As a result, victims are often left to provide evidence of their own abuse, even while seriously unwell.
“Somebody’s already struggling, especially if they’re in hospital with severe mental health conditions. It feels like being kicked while you’re down.”
In Charlotte’s case, the cleaner’s job description required he provided patients with a positive experience during their stay. His access to Charlotte was therefore as a result of his employment, making the trust legally responsible for his actions.
“[Charlotte] did everything right. She reported it, she tried for months to get someone to take her seriously.”
Elizabeth is now calling for hospitals to improve safeguarding procedures, including stronger supervision, open-door policies and bans on staff working alone with vulnerable patients.
“You can’t weed out absolutely everybody, but systems should mean they never have the opportunity to commit these offences.”
LBC’s investigation also found that of the alleged incidents involving NHS staff, over 75 per cent took place in intimate care settings, such as hospital wards.
In another case dating back to 2018, 75-year-old grandmother Valerie Kneale was sexually assaulted while being treated at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
Mrs Kneale had been admitted after suffering a minor stroke when she was attacked on the ward. She later died from internal injuries caused during the assault.
Following an inquest that concluded in 2025, the coroner ruled her death amounted to unlawful killing. No one has ever been charged in connection with her death.
William Jackson, who was a healthcare assistant at Victoria Blackpool Hospital between 2023 to 2024, told LBC chronic understaffing and a “toxic culture” on wards created unsafe conditions for patients and that staff members would “get into trouble” for reporting problems.
Valerie Kneale was sexually assaulted while being treated at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. .
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Getty
A spokesperson for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals said “we are committed to making our Trust a supportive place to work and take all concerns seriously. We continue to improve our services, including strengthening how staff can report concerns. Since Mrs Kneale’s death in 2018, we have introduced several safety improvements, including Martha’s Rule, with progress monitored by NHS England. We encourage anyone with concerns to contact us so we can offer support.”
The data compiled by LBC shows the trusts with the highest number of alleged sexual assaults between 2020 to 2025 were Mersey Care (3,849), East London (1,625), and Essex Partnership University (1,004).
Essex Partnership University and Belfast Health & Social Care had the highest number of NHS staff accused, with respective totals of 94 and 59.
The Care Quality Commission raised concerns in 2018 prior to the death of Mrs Kneale, warning that sexual safety was not being given enough priority across health and care settings.
It found inconsistent safeguarding practices and poor reporting systems, leaving vulnerable patients at increased risk, and called for stronger leadership and clearer accountability to prevent abuse. Jo Phoenix is a Professor of Criminology at the University of Reading who has carried out extensive research into sexual assault in hospitals. She says the NHS has made positive changes in recent years, but further action is needed, especially when it comes to streamlining data about incidents.
“The NHS are beginning to collect statistics, but these stats are going to include everything from an allegation of sexual violence all the way up to rape, and then we still have the same other problem, and that’s that a victim may not ever report it.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said “any form of sexual violence or harassment in the NHS is utterly unacceptable. Healthcare leaders must take robust action to stamp out sexual misconduct and keep staff and patients safe. This includes supporting staff to speak up and making sure every incident is recorded and met with swift action. We will also introduce a series of new staff standards for NHS staff this year to ensure they feel well supported in the workplace.”
A Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said “we treat all assaults as unacceptable and encourage staff to report incidents promptly. Sexual assault allegations are reviewed by clinical teams with safeguarding support, and victims are encouraged to contact police, either directly or through professionals. Allegations against staff are handled under strict procedures, including panel reviews and referrals to police, local authorities, DBS and relevant regulators where appropriate. We maintain a strong reporting culture, with around 80% of recorded incidents classified as low or no harm.”
Paul Scott, Chief Executive of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, said “sexual assault is unacceptable and all reports are taken seriously, with clear systems in place to ensure they are quickly recorded and investigated. Staff have a professional duty to raise concerns, and we have worked extensively to build a culture that encourages both colleagues and patients to report issues.”
Belfast Health & Social Care has said “Belfast Trust takes all reported incidents and allegations of sexual assault very seriously and investigates them thoroughly. The majority of these allegations are found to be unfounded following investigation. Most incidents have occurred in settings providing care to patients with intellectual disabilities or mental ill health. Belfast Trust continues to encourage all victims of sexual assault to come forward.”