NHS Staff Abuse: Protecting Workers from Violence and Harassment
It is right to draw attention to the physical, verbal, racial, and sexual violence and abuse experienced by an increasing number of NHS staff in the course of their work (Editorial,19 January).These threats to NHS staff safety occur physically – in wards, departments, and GP practices across the country – and virtually, as staff are filmed and photographed without their consent, and humiliated or abused on social media.
The data on the sharp and continuing increase in violence and abuse rightly creates headlines. Beneath it are complex lives and rapid shifts in societal and behavioral norms. This complexity means there is no simple solution to the growing problem of violence and abuse towards NHS staff.
A patient with dementia who hits and kicks a healthcare assistant providing personal care won’t be deterred by police intervention or exclusion. These patients may be better supported, and violence averted, with care environments and routines designed for their needs, and through a national mandatory training framework on de-escalation skills for NHS staff.
Consistent enforcement intervention also has a place. Operation Cavell – a partnership between healthcare, local police services, and the Crown Prosecution Service