Three in five nursing staff and students who responded to a 2021 survey by Nursing Times and Unison said they had experienced sexual harassment at work. For many, it had come to be treated as part of the job.

More recent figures suggest the problem persists. In the 2025 NHS staff survey for England, 11.36% of registered nurses and midwives said they had experienced at least one incident of unwanted sexual behaviour from patients, service users, visitors, relatives or members of the public in the previous year.

The problem is not confined to one country or type of healthcare setting. Around the world, nurses report sexual comments, intrusive questions, non-consensual touching, intimidation and abuse from colleagues, patients and visitors. Yet sexual harassment remains under-researched and often absent from public conversations about healthcare.

A problem hidden in plain sight

Sexual harassment in healthcare can take many forms: a comment about a nurse’s body, repeated advances, sexual jokes or unwanted contact during personal care.

Such behaviour is often minimised. Nurses may be told that a patient “didn’t mean it”, that harassment is “part of the job”, or that it should be expected in certain settings.

This can be especially difficult in areas such as mental health or dementia care, where behaviour may sometimes be affected by cognitive impairment, illness or distress. Illness may help staff understand why something happened. It does not erase the harm caused. Nurses still need protection and proper follow-up.

Repeated harassment can affect confidence, wellbeing and willingness to remain in the profession. More detailed research is needed into how nurses experience and respond to it, and whether organisational policies work in practice.

Who is most affected?

Gender, ethnicity and workplace hierarchies shape nurses’ experiences. In the UK, almost 90% of professionals on the Nursing and Midwifery Council register are women, and around a third are from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Sexual harassment is shaped by assumptions about who nurses are and what they should tolerate. Nurses are often expected to be caring, patient and self-sacrificing. They are also sexualised in popular culture, from fancy-dress costumes to television dramas.

Nurses may have less power than doctors, senior managers or other professionals. Their work can also involve close physical contact. Neither makes abuse acceptable. Gender, ethnicity, seniority, age, sexuality and area of work can all affect what happens, how seriously it is taken and whether a nurse feels able to report it.

When abuse becomes normalised

One of the most worrying features of sexual harassment in healthcare is how easily it can become normalised. Harmful behaviour starts to be seen as ordinary, unavoidable or not worth challenging.

If a nurse is repeatedly subjected to sexual comments or unwanted touching, colleagues may advise them to “laugh it off”, avoid a particular patient or handle the situation quietly.

Formal reporting can feel risky. Nurses may worry that they will not be believed, that managers will do nothing or that speaking up could damage their career. When incidents are handled informally, the burden falls on individual nurses and the wider culture remains unchanged.

Why current responses fall short

Health systems are beginning to take sexual safety more seriously. Since October 2024, employers have had a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.

From October 2026, the duty is scheduled to be strengthened. Employers will be required to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and will have a new obligation not to permit harassment by third parties, including patients and visitors.

In England, NHS England, all NHS provider trusts and all integrated care boards have signed a sexual safety charter committing them to a zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct.

NHS England has also published a national policy framework to help staff recognise and report sexual misconduct and access support. But discussions can focus heavily on behaviour between colleagues. What should happen when a patient repeatedly makes sexual comments, touches a nurse during care, or is confused, distressed or seriously unwell?

Without clear answers, nurses can be left to manage these situations alone.

Listening to nurses

Reports such as Surviving in Scrubs have exposed the seriousness of sexual misconduct in healthcare workplaces. More research is needed into nurses’ day-to-day experiences of harassment from patients and visitors.

A recent scoping review found that education and reporting systems are among the most commonly proposed responses to sexual harassment of nurses. Evidence about which interventions work remains limited.

Policies matter, but nurses also need managers who act when incidents are reported, practical support afterwards and working cultures that do not ask staff to absorb abuse in silence.

The Ballymoney man extended his Supersport winning streak at the Isle of Man TT to nine in a row, securing his 34th victory at the event on Tuesday afternoon

Northern Ireland motorsport hero Michael Dunlop has described Tuesday’s record-extending Monster Energy Supersport race win at the Isle of Man TT Races as ‘comfortable’

The Ballymoney man extended his Supersport winning streak at the Isle of Man TT to nine in a row, securing his 34th victory at the event on Tuesday afternoon.

He holds the all-time record for victories and podium finishes at the Isle of Man TT, with 34 wins and 52 podiums, surpassing the previous record of 26 victories held by his uncle Joey Dunlop.

Michael Dunlop overhauled early race leader Dean Harrison (Honda Racing) at the end of the first lap to eventually win by 24.47s. Peter Hickman (Swan Triumph by PHR Performance) completed the podium in third.

“It was good,” Dunlop said afterwards. “The bike’s been good all week, we’ve been really comfortable, so the main thing was to try and put it on (the podium) today.

“The conditions were a bit strange today, but the bike never missed a beat, the boys worked really hard, and it was nice to be back in here winning again.”

Delayed four hours from an 11am start to allow the roads to dry after the inclement weather on Monday and overnight, the race was also cut from four laps to three but conditions all around the course were good come the start time of 3pm.

Mike Browne led the field away on the Boyce Precision Engineering by Russell Racing Yamaha but by Glen Helen, nine miles into the lap, Harrison led Dunlop by 1.6s with Browne in third 4.2s further back.

As they came into the pits at the end of the lap for their mandatory stop, a first lap speed of 126.602mph gave Dunlop the lead from Harrison (126.587mph) by just 0.127s.

Jumping Ballaugh Bridge for the second time, Dunlop’s lead had almost doubled to four seconds and by Ramsey, he’d extended his lead further to 7.2s as he started the Mountain climb once more.

Dunlop continued to increase his lead through every sector and starting the third and final lap, the gap to Harrison stood at 12.5s as he looked to have broken the Honda rider’s challenge.

The Antrim man never looked back and with the fastest lap of the race, 127.672mph, he took the victory by 24.47s from Harrison (126.258mph) with Hickman (127.215mph) claiming third as the same three riders filled the podium position as Sunday’s Superbike race – albeit in a different order.

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Assisted by the younger duo of Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham, the 74-year-old took charge of eight matches on an interim basis last autumn and then returned to take the reins from January until the end of the campaign, solidifying his status as a hero in the eyes of Celtic supporters by leading the team to an unlikely double.

Curtis was last seen on Rawson Street in Bolton at around 1:50pm this afternoon (Tuesday June 2).

He is described as a white male, around 5ft 6ins tall, with a slim build, short hair, and shaved sides.

Curtis was last seen wearing a black ‘Technic’ branded hoody with a noticeable white logo in the centre.

GMP put out a statement on social media: “Can you help us find missing Curtis?

“He was last seen on Rawson Street in Bolton at around 1:50pm this afternoon (June 2).

“Anyone with information about Curtis whereabouts should contact us on 0161 856 2661 quoting log 915 of 02/06/2026. Always call 999 in an emergency.

“Officers are becoming increasingly concerned about him and want to make sure he is safe and well.”

Bolton GMP posted the notice to their Facebook page at around 7.15pm on June 2.

The train company runs services through Cambridgeshire

A major train operator that runs services through Cambridgeshire has been nationalised. MP Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, announced on Monday (June 1) that Govia Thameslink Railway, also known as Thameslink, had come under public ownership.

The trainline, which operates trains to London from Peterborough and Cambridge, is the fifth train company to transfer into public ownership under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act.

Under the new ownership, the Government is committed to delivering a range of measures to improve passengers’ experience. These include:

• Doubling the number of Gatwick Express trains each hour between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria from December, as well as more early morning services on Saturdays and Mondays over the busy summer period
• Providing additional Great Northern off-peak services from Moorgate from December
• Recruiting an additional 75 drivers on Thameslink and Great Northern this year, helping to reduce cancellations
• Enabling passengers to get support from staff directly via WhatsApp if there is disruption to services
• Improving all 115 Class 700 units on Thameslink by carrying out deep cleaning and repairing minor damage, as well as refreshing and resurfacing all toilets to help combat graffiti
• Providing a total of 110 Travel Safe Officers on Thameslink services
• Completing the automatic train operation training programme by December 2026, which will support improvements in punctuality, particularly in recovering delays during disruption.

A Government spokesperson said: “Public ownership is already putting passengers back at the heart of the railway, but it is not in itself a guarantee of improved services. To truly fix the structural issues that have long plagued our railways, we need systemic reform.

“The Railways Bill continues its passage through Parliament and will establish Great British Railways (GBR), a new nationalised rail company, that will integrate the management of track and trains for passengers and freight use every day. It will also create a strengthened passenger watchdog.

“Once established, GBR will maintain and improve the railways and be accountable to passengers, freight customers and taxpayers. GBR will be empowered to build a railway that not only puts passengers and customers first but also supports the government’s missions to drive economic growth and opportunity, by improving connectivity and unlocking jobs and housing.”

It sits high above Pickering, inside the national park, and feels like a place that is lived in year‑round but doubles as a handy base for people who want moorland walks and big skies on the doorstep.

Where Newton-on-Rawcliffe sits

Newton-on-Rawcliffe is a small village and civil parish a few miles north of Pickering, up on the moorland plateau rather than down in the Vale.

It’s part of the North York Moors National Park, so the countryside around it is protected and heavily used for walking, riding and cycling.

Roads from the village drop back down towards Pickering for shops, schools and services, while minor lanes and tracks lead out into forestry and open moor.

At the centre is that well‑known village green and pond, with stone houses and farm buildings facing onto it.

From there, a handful of lanes and short streets run out between properties, but Newton never sprawls; it stays compact, with a clear edge where the last houses give way to fields.

What the village looks and feels like

Most of Newton-on-Rawcliffe is made up of traditional two‑storey stone cottages and farmhouses, many with pantile roofs and long gardens.

A few newer homes and barn conversions have been slotted in over time, but the village still reads as an older, stone‑built place rather than a modern estate.

Around the green and pond you get the “postcard” view – ducks on the water, grass, trees and stone frontages – but step a little further back and you see working yards, sheds and the signs of a lived‑in rural community.

Everyday life and community

Village life runs through a mix of long‑standing farms, residential homes and holiday accommodation.

There’s a modernised village hall with a decent‑sized main room, kitchen and parking, used for local groups, regular classes, coffee mornings and private events.

Many residents head down to Pickering or further afield for work, school and shopping, then come back to a much quieter setting at the end of the day.

That pattern means Newton is not busy in the town‑centre sense, but it isn’t empty either; there’s a steady flow of cars, dog walkers and people going to and from the hall or pub, on top of the usual movement of farm traffic in and out of the yards.

Between green, moor and forest

Location is one of Newton-on-Rawcliffe’s main selling points. Step out of the village and you are quickly into open country: fields, forestry tracks and moorland paths that link into the wider North York Moors network.

Popular spots like the Hole of Horcum, Levisham Moor and Dalby Forest are within easy reach, and there are plenty of shorter loops starting almost from the green for evening walks or weekend strolls.

Down the hill, Pickering provides everyday services: supermarkets, schools, doctors, independent shops and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Further out, you can reach places like Helmsley, Malton and the Yorkshire coast for bigger trips, but Newton itself remains very clearly a village rather than a small town.

Pub, food and short‑break appeal

The village pub, the Horseshoe Inn, gives Newton upon Rawcliffe a clear social centre as well as somewhere to eat and stay.

It trades on a classic country‑inn mix of bar, dining room and comfortable rooms, with a menu built around straightforward, well‑cooked food.

For campers, walkers and people booking nearby cottages, it’s often the default place for an evening meal without having to drive back down to town.

Around the village, farms and cottages have been turned into small guest houses, holiday lets and campsites, so Newton sees a regular flow of visitors, especially in walking season and school holidays.

Overall picture

Put simply, Newton upon Rawcliffe is a pretty, stone‑built village wrapped around a green and duck pond, sitting high above Pickering on the edge of the moors.

It offers year‑round village life – farms, hall, pub, resident community – alongside an obvious pull for walkers and short‑break visitors who want quick access to trails, forests and big views.