Data obtained through a Freedom of Information request by Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice shows Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust recorded 212 sexual safety incidents between the financial years 2022/23 and 2024/25.
NCA runs a large network of hospitals and community services across Greater Manchester, including Fairfield Hospital, Salford Royal, Royal Oldham Hospital, Trafford General Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary.
Within the overall total, there were 25 incidents where staff were alleged to have sexually abused patients, including 23 physical assaults and two counts of verbal abuse.
The data also shows that five of the staff-on-patient incidents involved victims who lacked mental capacity, meaning they were unable to make decisions for themselves at the time.
This could have been due to conditions affecting the functioning of their mind or brain, such as dementia, severe mental illness, learning disability, brain injury or unconsciousness.
Overall incident numbers rose sharply over the period, increasing from 19 cases in 2022/23 to 111 in 2023/24, before falling slightly to 82 in 2024/25.
The majority of sexual safety incidents involved patients abusing staff, accounting for 133 cases, while there were also 22 incidents involving patient-on-patient abuse and 23 cases involving members of the public and patients.
NCA confirmed that two staff members were disciplined and two were dismissed over the three-year period in relation to sexual offences.
The trust also confirmed the validity of the figures and outlined the steps it takes to safeguard patients.
This includes a helpline for patients and visitors to call if they have concerns, with the number clearly displayed across the trust’s sites.
Training on sexual safety is also provided, and there is an internal campaign on unwanted behaviours that sets out clear standards which should be expected at all times.
Any cases involving staff are managed through a sexual safety at work policy, and where required, some cases are investigated independently to “ensure prompt and fair action is taken”.
NCA has also signed up to NHS England’s Sexual Safety Charter, which supports colleagues working in healthcare.
Estelle Carmichael, the trust’s deputy chief people officer, added: “We take sexual safety seriously and any incident or risk to an individual’s wellbeing is not tolerated.
“We are deeply sorry to anyone who has not felt safe while in our care. Feeling safe is an important part of receiving treatment, and no patient or loved one should ever experience anything less.
“Sexual safety covers issues such as physical or verbal abuse, and any situation that affects the wellbeing of an individual.
“The trust is committed to creating an environment where patients, visitors and colleagues feel safe and protected, and we encourage those who experience any unwanted behaviours to speak up.
“To safeguard our patients and colleagues, we have successfully trialled the use of body cameras for frontline staff in our Emergency Departments and are looking to roll this out across our sites as part of our responsibility to create a safer environment.
“Patients and visitors can ring a dedicated helpline to escalate any concerns, and we also have our established Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) available.
“All cases that are reported are thoroughly investigated, including incidents involving patients and staff, and we take the necessary and appropriate action.”
However, Ellie Lamey, a Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority specialist at Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice, said the figures represent “fear and an imbalance of power”.
She 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.”