IF you needed to be cared for on a mental health ward or unit, you would expect to be in a safe, caring and supportive environment.

You would not expect to be at risk of being raped or sexually abused.

Journalists from Sky News and the Independent have been investigating the scale of sexual violence and abuse on mental health wards in England and the findings are shocking.

They found almost 4,000 ‘incidents’ were reported between January and August 2023, perpetrated by professionals and fellow patients.

Awful as these statistics are, this is not new information.

In 2023 the Guardian and the BMJ published the results of their investigation which showed NHS trusts had recorded 35,000+ cases of rape, sexual assault, harassment, stalking and abusive remarks between 2017 and 2022 across all NHS settings.

That same investigation found that 56 gang rapes had been reported on NHS premises across 10 police forces in England.

In 2018 the Care Quality Commission reported on sexual safety in mental health wards.

The report found patients felt staff didn’t keep them safe, were unsupported in addressing sexual safety issues, were desensitised to sexual violence and abuse and that there was poor multi-agency working.

Anyone receiving support for their health and wellbeing in any setting deserves to be safe from harm and this risk needs to be addressed as a priority but responsibility for sexual violence and abuse on mental health wards has shifted around the health system.

Everyone holds partial responsibility for change yet there is a lack of clarity over the ultimate coordination and delivery of vital change.

NHS England has advised all trusts and local health systems to appoint a domestic abuse and sexual violence lead.

It would be interesting to know how many of you know who this is and what steps they are taking.

Our columnist Jocelyn Anderson is CEO for the West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC).