New tribunal data shows doctors’ colleagues were most common target of alleged sexual misconduct
More than a third of sexual misconduct allegation types brought before a substantive doctor’s tribunal last year involved their colleagues, new data has revealed.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS)’s data shows that 37.5 per cent of all the sexual misconduct allegation types involved a healthcare colleague, with allegations involving patients following closely behind (35.4 per cent).
The MPTS recorded 48 allegation types involving sexual misconduct at its tribunals in 2025. Of these:
- 18 involved a colleague
- 17 involved a patient
- 11 involved others, including online offences
- 2 involved a relative or someone known to the doctor
In some cases, doctors may have faced allegations made by more than one person, covering more than one category.
The new data reports on all allegation types heard by medical practitioners tribunals. Not all these allegations will have been proved as tribunals make independent decisions based on the evidence presented.
Dishonesty allegations were most prevalent, accounting for 27.4 per cent of cases in 2025. Sexual misconduct was the second most common allegation type recorded (17.8 per cent).
The MPTS has previously faced scrutiny over some high-profile tribunal decisions, but its leaders are working to strengthen its processes.
Judge Monk added:
"I know concerns have been raised about how some of these cases have been handled. I have had many conversations with those raising concerns, which have shown me that we all share the desire to root out sexual misconduct across the healthcare system.
"Every case that comes to a hearing represents a point at which earlier opportunities to prevent these behaviours have already been missed.
"While tribunals are only one part of the wider system, we have continued to strengthen our own processes and, over the last 12 months, have taken a wide range of actions to support greater consistency in tribunal decision-making."
Now the MPTS is calling on organisations across the healthcare system to use this evidence as the basis for a wider conversation about how sexual misconduct can be prevented and addressed earlier in the process. The MPTS will continue to share its insight and data to support that work.
Judge Monk said:
"Every proven case of sexual misconduct represents harm to another person. We should not become accustomed to seeing these cases.
"I know that these concerns are shared by others and hope that this data serves as a catalyst for change."