To help prepare for new legislation, pharmacy owners are being encouraged – although not legally required – to sign up for NHS England’s Sexual Safety Charter. 

Here is key information for pharmacy owners about this. 

NHS England and ICB ask 

NHS England is continuing to ask ICBs to follow up with primary care providers, including pharmacy owners, encouraging them to sign up to the NHS Sexual Safety Charter. 

The legislation 

All UK employers have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, and later this year, amendments to the Employment Rights Act will significantly strengthen these legal duties. See more about this in our news story on 23 January 2026  

Terms of Service requirements 

Signing up to the NHS Sexual Safety Charter and completing the self-assessment checklist are not part of pharmacy owners’ Terms of Service and are not mandatory for pharmacy owners. They have been developed as support for NHS organisations and are designed to help pharmacy owners comply with the legislative changes. NHS England expects that organisations will find it helpful to achieve compliance with the new legal duties. 

NHS England expectation 

The expectation from NHS England is that ICBs will follow up with pharmacies that have not completed the national online form.  

In view of this, Community Pharmacy England has put the NHS England team working on this in contact with the CCA, IPA and NPA, for the sector organisations to consider if they can help their members on this issue.  NHS England has indicated that it would be prepared to liaise directly with pharmacy owners with more than 10 pharmacy premises in England (CPE’s classification of a Multiple) as part of an arrangement with one of the three bodies. Also, that alternative and equivalent actions to the Charter are acceptable.  

This would enable 10+ pharmacy owners to respond to NHS England on this issue, rather than to a number of ICBs. And confirms that all pharmacies may complete alternative and equivalent preparations for the legislative change. 

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