Following today’s report on Sky News detailing three female paramedics’ experiences of sexual harassment and misogyny in their places of work, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) has underlined that there is no place for predatory sexual behaviour in NHS ambulance services and reaffirmed its commitment to confront both inappropriate and toxic elements of workplace culture that put staff at risk of abuse.
Anna Parry, Managing Director of AACE said:
These are obviously extremely concerning allegations and we commend the brave people who have spoken out to highlight their experiences. There are various mechanisms available in ambulance services for employees to report incidents such as these, which will be followed up by the ambulance service concerned.
Nationally AACE is working with all NHS ambulance services – from students to boards – to reduce misogyny and create meaningful cultural change to ensure all employees, volunteers and learners are treated with respect and able to undertake their roles safely, and free from harassment and harm.
This is a top priority for AACE and its members – and will remain so until the NHS ambulance service is a place of psychological and sexual safety for everyone. Confronting inappropriate and toxic elements of workplace culture is key if ambulance services are to enable their students, employees and volunteers to truly feel safe at work.
AACE has an agreed national consensus that sets out the sector’s shared commitment to lead meaningful reduction of misogyny and improvement of sexual safety focused on reducing harm through a learning approach to change. By removing barriers to speaking up and enabling greater access to support, AACE’s aim is to embed a culture of respect, understanding and safety across all UK statutory ambulance services.
Bron Biddle, Programme Lead (Reducing Misogyny & Improving Sexual Safety) at AACE added:
A specific suite of co-produced evidence-based interventions has been developed with multiple stakeholders to support organisations and individuals to reduce harm and work towards prevention over time and in a gradual way that begins to address these issues differently to bring about positive cultural change in our member services.
To truly understand our climate of misogyny and sexual harassment, we recognise that we need to ask questions, listen, create space, and hold that space if we want to build trust with affected colleagues. Our dedicated programme of work is enabling a growing community of advocates throughout our organisations to share continual learning and respond to related concerns appropriately.
Daren Mochrie QAM, Chair of AACE said:
We do not underestimate the scale of the challenge we face in this area within the ambulance sector, as well as within other parts of the NHS, and at a societal level. Today’s report on Sky News underlines some of the extremely distressing experiences of our staff and we commend their courage in coming forward to speak up.
All current and prospective ambulance employees, students and volunteers can be assured of our commitment to improving sexual safety and reducing misogyny across all our member services through a comprehensive and progressive programme of work designed to effect meaningful cultural change.
AACE and NHS England have both signed up to the Sexual Safety in Healthcare Organisational Charter which represents the key framework for health and care systems to ensure the sexual safety of all staff working in NHS ambulance services in England.
A summary of AACE’s national work on reducing misogyny and improving sexual safety in the ambulance service can be found here.
