Support for Bullying and Harassment in Healthcare

Urgent Support

Samaritans provide free 24/7 confidential emotional support by phone, email, letter or in person. (Tel: 116 123 - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

Shout provide free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support for anyone struggling to cope. (Text SHOUT to 85258)

BMA Wellbeing Support Services is staffed by professional telephone counsellors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are all members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and are bound by strict codes of confidentiality and ethical practice. (Tel: 0330 123 1245 - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week / Email: wellbeingsupport@bma.org.uk)

Suicide Prevention UK supporting those at risk of suicide in the UK. (Tel: 0800 689 5652)

Mind offers resources if you are experiencing a mental health crisis. (Tel: 0300 123 3393)

Help With Sexual Harassment and Assault

If you have been raped or sexually assaulted you can seek help at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). Find your nearest centre.

Rights of Women provides free employment legal advice to women in England and Wales experiencing sexual harassment at work. Their sexual harassment at work advice line can provide advice on identifying sexual harassment; how to report sexual harassment to your employer; advice about grievances, investigations, and appeals; Employment Tribunal procedure; Settlement Agreements and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs); Reporting sexual harassment to regulators and the EHRC. (Tel: 020 7490 0152)

Scottish Women's Rights Centre provides free, specialist legal advice, representation, and advocacy to promote access to justice for women aged 16+ who are survivors of gender-based violence including domestic abuse, honour-based abuse, rape, and sexual violence. (Tel: 08088 010 789).

Rape Crisis England and Wales is a charity aiming to support those who have been sexually assaulted, harassed or who have experienced any form of sexual violence (Tel: 0808 500 2222)

Rape Crisis Northern Ireland offer support service for anyone who is 18 and over and has experienced serious sexual assault and rape in adulthood. (Tel: 0800 0246 991)

Rape Crisis Scotland have a helpline for anyone who has experienced sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened. (Tel: 08088 010302). They also have a useful booklet on sexual harassment in the workplace

Survivors UK has a free, confidential helpline for men and non-binary people affected by sexual violence. (Tel: 0808 801 0332 / Webchat: https://www.survivorsuk.org/male-nonbinary-survivor-helpline / WhatsApp or SMS: 07860 031252)

GALOP offers a free helpline and support service for LGBTQ+ people who have been affected by abuse and violence. (Tel: 0800 999 5428 / help@galop.org.uk)

ACAS have extensive information on sexual harassment at work and a helpline for anyone who needs employment law or work advice. (Tel: 0300 123 1100)

British Medical Association provide free and confidential 24/7 counselling line and peer support service open to all doctors and medical students. (Tel: 0330 123 1245)

Reporting Workplace Violence

Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (RIDDOR), employers must report certain violent incidents to the workplace safety regulator (the Health and Safety Executive or the Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland).

Since July 2026, all NHS acute, ambulance, and mental health trusts in England have been rated according to how well they prevent violence, tackle racism, improve sexual safety and promote flexible working, line management, health, and wellbeing support. These are then ranked in published league tables so it is important that all incidents of violence and aggression are reported to one's employer using your organisation's reporting procedures.

NHS England has produced a post incident support framework aligned to its violence protection and reduction standard to ensure a consistent approach to supporting NHS staff following incidents of violence and aggression by patients or members of the public.

What to Do If You Are Subjected to Physical Violence

The Royal College of Nursing have a useful toolkit that makes a number of recommendations for those who have been physically assaulted at work. These include.

Reporting the assault to the police immediately. This is important, even if a confused patient/service user has assaulted you. If you do not, any later criminal injuries compensation claim (see below) will be refused.

Reporting the assault as an incident through one's employer's accident/incident reporting system and to your manager. One should also keep a record and refer to one's employer's work-related violence policy, which may offer guidance and any specific processes you should follow.

Checking one's employer's sickness policy if one requires time off because you have been injured.

Referring to the NHS injury benefits that might be available as a result of injuries that are wholly or mainly attributable to NHS employment or NHS duties,.

In some circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) if you were injured in England, Scotland, or Wales. For injuries sustained in Northern Ireland, contact Northern Ireland Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Contact us if you would like to discuss making a claim.

Access emotional support, such as NHS talking therapies.

Clinicians may refuse to treat patient if there is a serious threat of violence but each situation should be assessed and discussed with your manager and the rest of the care team.

Help with Addiction

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a help group for people to share their experiences and help each other recover from alcoholism and stay sober. The only requirement to join is a desire to stop using alcohol. (Tel: 0800 9177 650 / help@aamail.org)

Cocaine Anonymous is a group for people to share their experiences together to help each other stay sober and recover from their addiction. The only requirement to join is a desire to stop using cocaine and other drugs. (Tel: 0800 612 0225, 10:00 until 22:00, 7 days a week / info@cauk.org.uk)

Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men & women who share their experiences, strengths & hopes with each other to help solve their common problems. (Tel: 0330 094 0322 / info@gamblersanonymous.org.uk)

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a help group run by recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. (Tel: 0300 999 1212, 10:00 - midnight / meetings@ukna.org)

Sick Doctors Trust offers support and helps doctors, dentists and medical students who are concerned about their use of drugs or alcohol. The Sick Doctors Trust can facilitate treatment in appropriate centres, arrange funding for inpatient treatment, and provide advocacy and representation when required. (Tel: 0370 444 5163 (24-hour service) / help@sick-doctors-trust.co.uk)

British Doctors and Dentist Group is a mutual self-help group of doctors and dentists who are recovering or wish to recover from chemical addiction and other behavioural or activity addictions.

Help With Mental Health

NHS Practitioner Health is a mental health treatment service for health and care staff that helps those members of the workforce who, due to confidentiality reasons, cannot access care or treatment locally. Local help is available in England, Scotland and Wales. Unfortunately, there is currently no service available in Northern Ireland.

BMA counselling and peer support services offers free and confidential 24/7 counselling and peer support line for all doctors and students. (Tel: 0330 123 1245 (24 hours a day, seven days a week).

Doctors in Distress is a charity that provides free, confidential, specialist-led spaces where healthcare workers can come together and share their experiences, talk, and listen to others in a comparable situation. You do not have to be unwell to access these.

Doctors Support Network is a self-help group for doctors with mental health concerns, including stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, bipolar affective disorder, psychoses and eating disorders. All doctors in the group have been troubled at some stage in their lives. There are regular meetings around the UK, a newsletter, and an email forum.

DocHealth is a confidential, not for profit psychotherapy service for all practising doctors in the UK, delivered online by doctors who are specialist Consultant Medical Psychotherapists. The service helps doctors, who self-refer, to explore difficulties, both professional and personal. Fees are charged according to grade and support may be available in cases of financial hardship. (Tel: 07408 806 133 / enquiries@dochealthuk.org.uk)

You Okay Doc? is registered charity dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals.

The Health for Health Professionals (HHP) Wales helpline provides doctors in Wales with access to a BABCP (British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) accredited therapist in their area. This service is confidential and is fully funded for doctors in Wales by the Welsh Government. (Tel: 0800 058 2738 / HHPCOVID19@cf.ac.uk)

Help With Finances

Royal Medical Benevolent Fund provides support for doctors and their families through all stages of their career and beyond. Help ranges from financial assistance in the form of grants and loans to a telephone befriending scheme for those who may be isolated and in need of support. (Tel: 0208 540 9194 / info@rmbf.org)

Royal Medical Foundation aims to assist registered doctors and their families who are in financial hardship.

Help Me, I'm a Doctor brings together five independent charities that support doctors when they need confidential financial assistance. These benevolent funds provide vital support to help doctors in genuine financial need get their lives and careers back on track.

Help With Disabilities

Disabled Doctors Network supports the welfare, rights and inclusion of chronically ill and physically disabled doctors and medical students. It provides a wealth of useful information and resources as well as access to a support network of people who have experienced the challenges of working with a disability.

HOPE for disabled doctors provides support and resources for doctors with disabilities and chronic illnesses. (info@hope4medics.co.uk)

Help With Neurodiversity

Autistic Doctors International is a growing community of autistic doctors that offer support, advocacy, research, and education. They have formulated a useful framework with some first steps for more inclusive practice.

Autism Coaching is a coaching service for autistic individuals to help identify their needs, goals and what approaches may be helpful to support them. You do not need a diagnosis to access this service.

Other Help Available

ACAS gives employees and employers free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules, and best practice (Tel: 0300 123 1100)

Practitioner Performance Advice provides impartial advice to healthcare organisations in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to effectively manage and resolve concerns raised about the practice of individual doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. They also welcome contact from individuals who may be seeking advice about performance. For example, a practitioner may be concerned about some aspect of their own practice or wish to access advice about rebuilding their skills after a career break. (Tel: 020 7811 2600 / nhsr.Advice@nhs.net).

Intensive Care Society's TIM: Team Immediate Meet is a communication tool and psychological first aid to be used after any clinical event that may cause distress. The intention of the tool is to enable staff to briefly check in with each other, have some useful short term self-care advice (Psychological First Aid - an approach advocated by the World Health Organisation), and have the option for supportive follow up following the acute stress response period.

The Confederation of British Surgery is dedicated to supporting all members of the surgical team, particularly those facing challenges in their professional lives and offers a Surgical Advisory Service Helpline, providing expert advice and guidance on employment terms, conditions, and more. (Tel: 07498 322935 / advice@cbsgb.co.uk)

The Equality Advisory Support Service gives free advice, information, and guidance to individuals on equality, discrimination, and human rights issues. (Tel: 0808 800 0082)

The Health and Safety Executive and the Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland provide guidance to employers on how to manage the threat of violence in the workplace.

Explore Related Topics