The report comes amid a rising trend in the proportion of appeals involving charges relating to sexual misconduct from 11% of appeals in 2021/22 to 33% in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, and 26% in 2025/26.

Graham Mockler, the PSA's head of regulation and accreditation said: ‘Sexual misconduct cases are among the most serious and sensitive matters considered through fitness to practise processes. This report brings together learning and insights we have developed through our oversight work, engagement with experts and discussions with stakeholders, and is intended to support regulators and accredited registers as they continue to strengthen their approach. Fair, sensitive and effective handling of these cases is essential to maintaining public confidence and protecting patients, service-users and the wider public.'

The report draws on the PSA's reviews of final fitness to practise panel decisions, its webinar series on tackling and preventing sexual misconduct, expert contributions on the impacts of sexual misconduct on victim-survivors, research, and emerging good practice from across the health sector and beyond. It highlights key challenges in the handling of fitness to practise cases involving sexual misconduct and sets out practical measures that regulators and accredited registers may wish to consider when reviewing their own approaches.

The report also sets out the wider context for the improvement measures identified by the PSA, recognising the importance of fair, sensitive and effective processes for all those involved in fitness to practise proceedings.

The publication complements existing resources available on the PSA website. It is intended to bring together the work the PSA has undertaken since 2024 and to support regulators and accredited registers in considering whether improvements could be made to the way fitness to practise cases involving sexual misconduct are handled.