Study Reveals Increase in Attacks on NHS Staff

Attacks on NHS staff in England are sadly on the rise with almost 200 assaults on doctors, nurses and other NHS staff being reported each day. Figures published by NHS Protect showed a total of 70,555 staff assaults in 2015-2016, which was an increase of 4 % on the previous year. However according to recent research undertaken by the BBC, NHS Protect, the body set up to advise hospitals on staff safety and who was tasked with overseeing the measures that Trusts were taking to stop physical attacks on staff, is being wound up at the end of March. The government feels that a new approach is needed to protect staff.

Commenting on the situation Kim Sunley from the Royal College of Nursing, described it as “an absolutely shocking figure”

Dr Jess Brittain-George who works in A& E said “most NHS staff can say they‘ve been attacked or felt unsafe at work, especially those of us on the front line. When I joined as a student in 2008 it was never mentioned. I did an A&E placement and no-one talked about it”

Richard Taylor a specialist psychiatric nurse working in an NHS day service for elderly patients with dementia in the midlands says ‘Most of my working weeks now at least one member of staff is assaulted fortunately we have good skills to manage these situations, but nonetheless it is stressful and exhausting having to watch your back the whole time. The paperwork required of us to complete in the event of these situations occurring also takes up valuable clinical time away from our patients making the situation possibly even worse. I would have no objection to the paperwork and reporting procedures if changes were made to make the situation safer for staff.”

It is understood many of the assaults are carried out by people who lack mental capacity, but it is thought some claim mental disability as a way of dissuading the police from investigating. However NHS Protect have stepped in to secure convictions in cases where the police have decided not to act.

A spokesperson for the Department for Health said “NHS staff work incredibly hard in a high-pressure environment, and it is completely unacceptable for them to be subject to aggression or violence. Work continues on the potential of identifying who might be best placed to take the lead on guiding this work, if it is felt appropriate that another body should take it forward”

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