Figures revealed 77 reports of sexual assault in the past three years
The report of the rape came out in a Freedom of Information request(Image: Derbyshire Live)
A patient was raped in Gloucestershire last year whilst under the care of the Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust, a shocking new report has revealed.
A set of harrowing new figures uncovered through a Freedom of Information request by specialist solicitor, Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice, shows that the Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust is one of the worst in the country when it comes to reports of sexual assault and harassment.
In the last three financial years (from 2022/23, to 2024/25), a total of 77 incidents of sexual assault have been recorded in Gloucestershire alone within the Health and Care Trust – one of which was rape.
Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust(Image: Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust)
The Trust has now confirmed that the rape occurred, and was the subject of a police investigation, which the Trust supported.
The rape incident took place during the last financial year, during which time five other patients also reported having been sexually assaulted while under the Trust’s care.
And it’s not just patients that have reported such incidents – in the same time frame, one member of the public and 11 employees were sexually assaulted.
A third of all the sexual assaults recorded by the Trust saw a patient as the victim (26), while as many as 49 staffers and two members of the public also lodged a complaint to the service.
And on top of the offences, there were a further 56 complaints of sexual harassment taking place on the Trust’s grounds – 11 of which were reported by patients, with eight of those happening in the financial year 2024/25.
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “We take sexual safety within our services very seriously. As such, we encourage the reporting of incidents so that full investigations can take place.
“We can confirm that the incident recorded as rape has been the subject of a police investigation, which we have supported. More generally, we have a full range of security and safety measures in place to minimise the possibility that offences occur, but also a full range of support for anyone affected by such incidents.”
The alarming report puts Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Trust just behind the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as the worst area in the UK when it comes to reports of sexual offences.
In the North East, a total of 99 offences were reported during the last three years, with eight of the victims being patients. Four staff members of the Trust were disciplined.
While the two trusts are among the worst offenders, concerns about sexual assault and harassment within healthcare settings are not isolated to individual NHS trusts.
National evidence shows that sexual misconduct in medicine is widespread, under-reported, and inconsistently sanctioned, particularly where strong power imbalances exist between staff and patients.
A recent analysis of Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service decisions found that nearly a quarter of all tribunal cases heard in a single year involved sexual misconduct, with over half of those cases involving sexual assault allegations.
Among cases where misconduct was proven, 65% resulted in doctors being erased from the medical register, while 35% led only to suspension, even in serious cases.
Disturbingly, one in four (26%) of cases involved offences against children. The study also found that all doctors sanctioned for sexual misconduct were male, with 83% holding senior positions of authority, such as consultants or GPs.
Surveys across the medical profession show that more than half of those experiencing sexual harassment or assault do not report it – often due to fear of retaliation, belief that reporting will not lead to action, or concern about career consequences.
And in tribunal proceedings, victim-survivors are typically required to give evidence without guaranteed access to legal advice or specialist advocacy – a process experts warn can be re-traumatising.
Experts have called for mandatory trauma-informed training, clearer reporting pathways, stronger protections for whistleblowers, and more consistent sanctions to ensure that sexual offences within healthcare settings are treated with the seriousness they warrant.
Ellie Lamy, of Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice, said: “What these disclosures show is a pattern that can no longer be dismissed as isolated wrongdoing. Healthcare environments place enormous trust in professionals, and when that trust is abused the impact on victims can be profound and long-lasting.
“We regularly hear from people who stayed silent for months or years because they believed speaking up would achieve nothing, or would place them at personal or professional risk. That silence should not be mistaken for absence of harm – it reflects fear, imbalance of power, and a system that too often prioritises reputation over protection.
“There must be robust, survivor-centred reporting processes, independent oversight, and consequences that genuinely reflect the seriousness of these behaviours. Without that, confidence in healthcare institutions will continue to be eroded, and those affected will remain without the justice and support they deserve.”
Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice offers expert legal support and advice to those affected by sexual abuse. You can book a free consultation or call their 24-hour helpline by visiting its website.