CHFT is committed to becoming a working environment free from unwanted attention and inappropriate conduct, and has signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter.

From next month, protection against sexual harassment will be strengthened by the Workers Protection Act - which is an amendment to the Equality Act 2020. The new law will place a duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.

Chief Executive, Brendan Brown, said: "It’s imperative for me to stress that if you receive any unwanted attention (inappropriate physical touching, banter, obscene gestures, slurs or jokes), or you see this happening to another person, please report it. Your concerns will be taken seriously and handled with the utmost confidentiality and you will receive the relevant support.  Every employee has the right to work in an environment free from unwanted attention and inappropriate conduct, and I encourage you to speak up."

What next?

To help embed the Charter, we are developing an action plan to prevent sexual misconduct, support victims, and report incidents correctly and in a timely manner and learn from our experiences.

A task and finish group is being set up to develop the plan and deliver the commitments of the charter. If you would like further information, or want to get involved with how we shape our plans, please contact Nikki Hosty via email: nicola.hosty@cht.nhs.uk