Sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape by colleagues in the surgical workforce, and how women and men are living different realities: observational study using NHS population-derived weights.

This article presents an observational study examining sexual misconduct—including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape—perpetrated by colleagues within the UK surgical workforce over the past five years. Using survey data weighted to reflect the National Health Service (NHS) England surgical workforce, the study found that women were significantly more likely than men to witness and be targets of sexual misconduct, with 63.3% of women reporting being targeted by sexual harassment compared to 23.7% of men, and 29.9% of women experiencing sexual assault versus 6.9% of men. Additionally, women rated key accountable organizations, such as the General Medical Council and Royal Colleges, as inadequately addressing these issues, with positive evaluations ranging from 15.1% to 31.1%, substantially lower than men's assessments. The findings highlight a pervasive problem of sexual misconduct in surgery, gendered differences in experiences, and widespread dissatisfaction with institutional responses, underscoring the need for urgent cultural and organizational change to improve safety and equity in the surgical workplace.