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New guidance and anonymous reporting for NHS staff to report sexual misconduct at work
NHS staff will be able to anonymously report incidents of sexual misconduct, as part of major plans to improve safety for staff across the health service. In the first ever policy of its kind in the NHS, chief executive Amanda Pritchard has said she hopes that any member of staff who experiences sexual abuse will feel they can speak up and should have every confidence that they will be listened to, supported, and that appropriate action will be taken. The new framework issued to local hospitals
and available to adopt from today, outlines how those working in the health service should recognise, report and act on sexual misconduct in the workplace. As part of the support package, there will now be an additional route for staff to report sexual abuse via an anonymous form if they do not feel comfortable disclosing their name and personal details but want the incident to be properly investigated. It includes brand new guidance for those conducting investigations following a disclosure from a colleague, including forming a specialist review group with access to subject matter experts and independent investigators, and a detailed set of steps to ensure the right support has been offered. All cases will be treated confidentially but
throughout the investigations process, line managers and HR teams will have direct access to experts in sexual misconduct, including in safeguarding and those with lived experience.
Employees can access support from new specially trained allies, and Freedom to Speak Up Guardians will also receive specialist training to bolster the support they can provide. This is one of the most comprehensive public
sector and employer packages to tackle sexual misconduct in the workplace, and all employees, contractors, agency staff, volunteers and temporary workers are expected to comply. Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said:
“For anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or misconduct at work, it is an extremely distressing and isolating experience, and so we must do everything in our power to ensure our staff feel able to speak up, and have absolute confidence that they will be given the support they need when they do. “This new national policy will help colleagues
right across the NHS to ensure they are taking the right steps in recognising, reporting and acting on
sexual misconduct at work, and by introducing the option of anonymous reporting we are making it easier for staff to come forward to report issues – it marks our serious commitment to stamping out this horrendous behaviour. “There is absolutely no place for sexual misconduct or abuse of any kind within the NHS – a place where staff come to work every day to provide compassionate care and support to others, and we know that women are more likely to be affected – this is unacceptable, and we must not tolerate it.” Trusts are being asked to bring in additional
senior level oversight with members of the executive board responsible for monitoring data on sexual misconduct, including the annual staff survey results. NHS staff are also being urged to complete new training on how to recognise and respond to disclosures of sexual misconduct safely and appropriately.
£1.1m funding boost for research in Liverpool given to Alder Hey
Alder Hey has been awarded £1.1m from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to improve the delivery of research across Liverpool. This funding is in addition to £3.2m, which the NIHR awarded to Alder Hey last year for a cutting-edge 3T research MRI scanner, which is now operational. This new round of funding will make the MRI truly state-of-the-art by adding new imaging methods, allowing users to see more than ever before. This makes Liverpool the only city in the UK with this combination of technology in a stand-alone paediatric hospital. In addition, matched funding for ophthalmology equipment will equip a paediatric eye research facility in Alder Hey. The new funding also means that Alder Hey can support other sites in the UK without this facility. Dan Hawcutt, Director of Research at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Reader in
Paediatric Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Liverpool, said: “This funding is going to help paediatric research in our city be cutting edge by providing a new research technology and will support our region and beyond. The MRI scanner will be able to do new research studies that cannot be delivered anywhere else and enable Alder Hey to lead on new studies but also support other sites where they may not have MRI capacity to take part in the research. “The ophthalmology research equipment will also help the delivery of new eye research and other studies where eye checks are essential. Together they represent a vote of confidence in Alder Hey and the Liverpool research eco-system from NIHR, and we intend to work hard to make sure they deliver to their potential.” This advanced scanner, funded from the initial £3.2m funding, has enhanced Alder Hey’s ability to collaborate with key partners, including supporting
studies such as Children Growing Up In Liverpool (C-GULL), a partnership between the University of Liverpool, Wellcome Trust, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Liverpool City Council and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The C-GULL study is a longitudinal birth cohort focused on improving the health and well-being of children and their families within the Liverpool City Region and other similar regions within the UK. The first MRI-related C-GULL sub-study that would require the MRI is now funded and scheduled for next year. The new funding for research into child health
follows the Liverpool Institute of Child Health and Wellbeing announcement by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in October. The new Institute will build on the long-standing collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Alder Hey and their respective world-leading reputations for healthcare research and innovation.
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