FOI Data Shows Eight Sexual Offence Reports at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Newly released data shows that a patient was among several people who reported alleged sexual offences connected to The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust over the past three financial years.

The figures were obtained through a Freedom of Information request by Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice and cover the period from 2022/23 to 2024/25.

Eight Allegations Recorded Over Three Years

According to the data, the Cornwall-based trust logged eight sexual offence cases during the three-year period.

The highest number of allegations was recorded in 2023/24, when four cases were reported. This was followed by three cases in 2024/25 and one case in 2022/23.

Most of the complaints were raised by members of staff. In 2022/23, the single allegation came from an employee. In 2023/24, three workers and one patient reported offences. In 2024/25, all three reports were submitted by staff.

Across the same period, four employees were disciplined in connection with sexual offence allegations. One disciplinary case took place in 2022/23, two in 2023/24, and one in 2024/25.

However, the trust confirmed that no staff members were dismissed in relation to sexual offences between 2022 and 2025.

A spokesperson for The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust said:

“We actively encourage the reporting of any incident of sexual misconduct and will always take appropriate action.

“The incidents reported can range from inappropriate comments to more serious offences and some will be due to delirium, ill mental health, and other wellbeing issues.

“We continually seek to improve our care and working environments to keep everyone safe, and to adapt and update the training we provide.”

Wider Concerns Across the NHS

The issue is not limited to Cornwall. Data from other NHS trusts also highlights concerns about sexual safety within healthcare settings.

At Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, 77 sexual assaults were recorded over the same three-year period. Among those cases was the rape of a patient while under the trust’s care during the most recent financial year.

Five other patients also reported sexual assaults during that same year. Across the three-year period, one member of the public and 11 employees reported being sexually assaulted.

A total of 26 victims were patients, 49 were staff members, and two were members of the public.

The trust also logged 56 complaints of sexual harassment on its grounds. Eleven of those reports came from patients, with eight occurring in 2024/25.

In the North East, The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recorded 99 sexual offences over the same three-year period, including eight cases involving patients. Four staff members there were disciplined.

Concerns Raised by Experts

Experts say the figures highlight wider problems across healthcare settings.

Research examining decisions made by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found that nearly a quarter of tribunal cases heard in one year involved sexual misconduct. More than half of those cases involved allegations of sexual assault.

Where misconduct was proven, 65 percent of doctors were erased from the medical register, while 35 percent received suspensions. In 24 percent of cases, tribunals issued less severe sanctions than those recommended by the General Medical Council.

The study also found that 26 percent of cases involved offences against children. All doctors sanctioned for sexual misconduct in the study were male, with 83 percent holding senior roles such as consultants or GPs.

Researchers said seniority can create power imbalances because perpetrators may influence a patient’s care or a colleague’s training, career progression, or employment conditions.

Surveys across the medical profession suggest that more than half of those who experience sexual harassment or assault do not report it. Reasons include fear of retaliation, concern that nothing will change, or worries about career consequences.

Calls for Stronger Protections

Ellie Lamey, a CICA specialist with Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice, said the findings reflect a broader pattern.

Ellie Lamey 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.”

She added:

“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 legal support and advice to people affected by sexual abuse, including access to a free consultation and a 24-hour helpline through its website.

📷Credit: Royal Cornwall Hospital