Opening Up is a project dedicated to stopping sexual abuse by health professionals
Mission
To end sexual abuse by health and care professionals through:
- Robust research and data analysis
- Education and raising public awareness
- Creative, evidence-based interventions
Project Plan
01
Who are the perpetrators of sexual abuse in healthcare and what are the risk factors?
Methods: analysis of tribunal notes; literature review; data from public bodies.
To understand the characteristics of perpetrators, victims, offences, and factors cited. The analysis will include all cases of sexual abuse against patients, colleagues and the public. It will cover health, psychological and care professions.
02
What's the impact of sexual abuse by health professionals?
Methods: interviews and surveys with survivors and their advocates; literature review; data from public bodies.
To understand the impact on survivors, as well as the wider impact including cost to the NHS.
03
Why haven't interventions worked?
Methods: comparison of past investigations and inquiries; interviews with survivors, advocates and health professionals; literature review.
To understand what has been recommended before. The analysis will evaluate the effectiveness of interventions such as chaperone policies and reporting systems.
04
What’s going to end sexual abuse by health professionals?
Methods: interviews with survivors, advocates and health professionals; surveys to understand public awareness; literature review; user-testing.
To inform, develop and test evidence-based interventions. This stage will be ambitious and creative.
Findings
Work in progress
So far in 2025...
200+
Hours of research and development
20
Requests made to public bodies (FOIs)
500+
Tribunal reports sifted
100+
Research articles read
5 years'
HCPC register data analysed
7 years'
GMC register data analysed
Results and resources will be presented in engaging ways, including reports, interactive stories, videos and games. They will be available on the website from Summer 2025.
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About us
Joni Browne
Founder & Researcher (she/her)
I'm an experienced mixed-methods researcher with a Masters in Public Health (distinction). My professional bio can be found on LinkedIn.
I’m a victim-survivor. I founded Opening Up to develop evidence-based interventions to stop these offences from happening to others.
In my spare time I do this project, I eat Boursin, I lose pub quizzes.
Thanks to :
Everyone who has talked to me about Opening Up and offered help along the way. In particular, thank you to victim-survivors who gave up their spare time to give me feedback on the project. Thank you to Del and InTandem for the website and logo design.
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