Women in NHS hospitals being sexually assaulted

[RoyalCorgi]

A big investigation from the Independent and Sky News has found that women are being sexually assaulted on NHS mental health wards.

The investigation found that almost 20,000 reports have been made in more than half of NHS mental health trusts in the last five years.

On example was Alexis Quinn, a former GB swimming star, who "alleged she was sexually assaulted twice – once when she was forced to sleep on a male ward and a second time on a mixed gender ward."

Members of this board might raise an eyebrow at Wes Streeting's sudden discovery of the importance of single-sex spaces for women. This is what he says:

"The Conservatives promised to end mixed-sex wards in 2010, yet soaring numbers of patients are treated alongside patients of the opposite sex. Patients often find this humiliating and, as this investigation shows, it leaves women in particular vulnerable in hospital."

Well, well, well.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/sexual-abuse-mental-health-uk-b2484163.html

Well yes because Annex B, duhhh, Wes.

Fucks sake.

And if you report being sexually assaulted whilst an inpatient on a mental health ward you stand a high chance of being disbelieved/the police failing to act because you have a mental illness and are therefore not considered a credible witness.

Add to that even if they do believe you if the rapist is also a in patient then they will automatically be deemed no responsibility due to mental illness

This has gone on for decades. I can't see it changing any time soon, despite all the platitudes.
Women are fair game wherever and whenever they are in any kind of institution. (As are children and any vulnerable persons).

And is, in fact, it will be used to illustrate how much more severely the attacker is affected by illness than the victim of the assault/attack/episode. And can therefore not be held responsible (as you say).

I don't want hierarchies within a MH ward. I'm assuming that the people there need to be there because the wretchedly scant NHS resources wouldn't be available to them unless everyone needed in-patient facilities. Dangerous patients should be in locked wards that are appropriately staffed (whether dangerous to themselves or others.)

We have to stop this culture of regarding women as acceptable collateral damage. Even when other women affect to support this.

From another thread: Victim impact in a recent court hearing. (Very sensitive topic: mother whose addiction is argued to have underpinned her tolerance of SA of her child and who has encouraged DC to ask for probation for the abuser because mother wanted him home, paying the bills.)

Video link missing from above:

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Just keeping males and females on separate wards would make a massive difference. Also solely female staff doing the most intimate care of female patients

The male staff are also a problem. And again if a mentally ill patient alleged that a staff member assaulted her, she wouldn't be believed.

almost 20,000 reports have been made in more than half of NHS mental health trusts in the last five years.

10 a day. And presumably similar rates in the other half.

Not just in mental health - I reported sexual harassment by a male member of staff to the hospital while I was having radiotherapy for breast cancer. Despite the two women radiologists who were treating me backing up my version of events, the hospital insisted on minimising the incident as “an honest mistake”.

Each follow up appointment since, I’ve been met with hostility from the (female!) breast clinic nurses when I’ve insisted on a female doctor. Arguing against it with me in the waiting room, refusing to put me on the female doctors’ (there are several) list.

It’s part of the health system, a feature not a bug.

It's the NHS / state sanctioned sexual abuse of women. They don't care. Women are just collateral in all this.

They need to be making it much clearer that it is men carrying out these assaults in the vast, vast majority of cases. Name the perpetrator class.

Silly wims. It's far more important to NHS Trusts to gain Stonewall points than it is to protect women and vulnerable people.

Overlook this anguished thread title, the story's literally about the NHS being so desperate to scrabble for Stonewall WEI points that they've made their Domestic Abuse policies "gender-neutral" - in no way will that interfere with the practice of medicine where HCPs are supposed to ask appropriate questions or collect data. Absolutely not.

If there is any harm from this, it's only women and vulnerable people. Do we have a fraction count for that relative to Real People?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womensrights/4995838-aaaaaaaaarrgh

That's awful that you encountered hostility from female staff.

It can be extremely difficult advocating for yourself in these scenarios if you are someone who's been previously assaulted.

I have had some excellent female HCPs who completely understand trauma but often even well meaning staff can be quite ignorant. In the public space of a hospital, I don't actually want to have to stand there and tell you about the events that led to me having PTSD thanks v much!

Think there should be some kind of card you show, so you don't have to explain a thing.

equinoxprocess · Yesterday 19:18

And if you report being sexually assaulted whilst an inpatient on a mental health ward you stand a high chance of being disbelieved/the police failing to act because you have a mental illness and are therefore not considered a credible witness.

My cousin was sectioned and two men assaulted her, her complaints were dismissed. They also actively mocked her, because she's a qualified doctor and asked to be referred to by her title; my dad witnessed it. The attackers told her of their plans of what to do with her and even though other patients reported it, they were fobbed off.

My dad refused to leave until it was dealt with and the staff threatened him with the Police and he said, "Great, I'll wait for them." It was eventually dealt with by removing the two men to a more secure place.

This was 2006.

Mental health wards are scary.
Yes they are all single room but on a mixed corridor. You are not allowed to lock your door and absolutely fucking nothing stopping another patient walking from their room next door to yours to your room. How anyone ever gets any rest or sleep whilst wondering who’s coming through the door is beyond me

Picked this up on the news - Sky - and there was a reference to mixed wards which endangered 'people'. It's women who are in danger on a mixed sex ward, but Sky could not bring itself to say 'women' rather than 'people', which I thought disgusting.

And if you report being sexually assaulted whilst an inpatient on a mental health ward you stand a high chance of being disbelieved/the police failing to act because you have a mental illness and are therefore not considered a credible witness.

And this is precisely why abusers are drawn to jobs where they have access to people who won't be believed or can't articulate their experience, such as mental health nursing, or childcare, or working in an old people's home. It's also why grooming gangs target girls in care, because no one believes them either.

It's woke ethos, I think, which has infiltrated the NHS. But also institutional closing of ranks, which happens anywhere, unfortunately.