Disabled staff at Oxford University Hospitals Trust are almost twice as likely to experience bullying, harassment or abuse from their manager as their non-disabled colleagues, new figures suggest.

The NHS England figures, which have just been released, come from the NHS staff survey conducted in autumn 2021.

The trust is made up of four hospitals – the John Radcliffe Hospital, the Churchill Hospital, the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, and the Horton General Hospital.

The figures show 16.4 per cent of disabled staff at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust experienced bullying, harassment or abuse in the previous 12 months.

READ MORE: Oxford school confirms death of staff member on Port Meadow

This fell to 8.6 per cent of non-disabled staff, meaning disabled employees were 1.9 times as likely to experience harassment.

The figures also showed that 11.5 per cent of disabled staff at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust experienced bullying, harassment or abuse in the previous 12 months.

Across England, 17 per cent of disabled staff said they had experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from a manager – 1.8 times more likely than non-disabled employees.

Thomas Hamilton-Shaw, policy manager at disability equality charity Scope, said: "It’s deplorable that disabled people are more likely to experience bullying from colleagues and abuse from the public.

"Our public sector should be leading the way when it comes to disability employment.

"For too long it’s been too hard for disabled people to get into work, stay in work and thrive in work. This needs to change."

The figures also show 25.3 per cent of disabled staff at Oxford University Hospitals Trust said they experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from other colleagues in the last 12 months – higher than the 16.8 per cent of their non-disabled colleagues.

Similarly, disabled employees were more likely to be abused by the public, with 29.4 per cent reporting at least one instance in the last year, compared to 22.4 per cent of non-disabled staff.

Mr Hamilton-Shaw said the Government must address this by strengthening the Disability Confident scheme so employers "actually improve conditions on the ground", and increase funding for the Equalities and Human Rights Commissions to better protect disabled workers.

Dr Navina Evans, NHS England’s chief workforce, training and education officer, said: "While the latest data shows some progress in reducing the proportion of disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from their managers, there is clearly significant work still to do and it remains completely unacceptable that anyone is experiencing this at work.

"Discrimination and bullying have no place in the NHS, and that is why as part of our equality, diversity and inclusion improvement plan, trusts will be expected to take proactive and preventive action to reduce incidents of harassment, bullying and abuse experienced by staff with a disability, as well as by those who share other protected characteristics."