20.11.14
Physical assaults on NHS staff in England increase 8.7%
The total number of reported physical assaults against NHS staff in England increased by nearly 9% in 2013-14, according to new figures from NHS Protect.
The data, collated from 266 health bodies across the country, revealed that the total number of assaults rose to 68,683 compared to 63,199 in 2012-13 – an increase of 8.7%.
Staff working in the mental health sector were the most likely to suffer from a physical assault with the total number of incidents at 47,184. Of these, 38,140 involved medical factors where the perpetrator did not know what they were doing due to metal illness, severe learning disability or treatment administered.
However, this still left just over 9,000 assaults not involving medical factors. The second highest proportion of assaults took place in the acute sector with 17,900 incidents. Data revealed that 13,349 involved medical factors, but 4,551 did not.
Richard Hampton, head of external engagement and services at NHS Protect, said: “No NHS staff should be physically assaulted and we encourage staff who are victims of violence to press charges against assailants.
“Those who work in the NHS have the right to provide care in a safe environment. Employers must do all they can to support staff in preventing incidents and pursuing offenders”.
The number of criminal sanctions following reported assaults in 2013-14 increased by 191, from 1,458 to 1,649 – a rise of 13.1%.
Responding to the report, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the number of assaults keeps rising year on year, but the efforts made to tackle them seem to diminish.
Janet Davies, executive director of nursing and service delivery at the RCN, said: “Unfortunately the NHS seems to be more committed to pursuing financial objectives than it is to providing a safe environment for patient care. Failing to provide safe working environments is bad for staff, bad for patient care and bad for the NHS as a whole.
“It’s an obvious fact that shouldn’t need to be repeated - nobody should be assaulted whilst going about their daily work of caring for patients. Apart from the pain and suffering, assaults against staff cost the NHS around £60m which could be better spent on improving patient care and providing faster treatment. Many nurses who have suffered in this way will be relieved that sanctions have been applied to more of the perpetrators than before, but it is still only a tiny proportion of the total, leaving most to go unacknowledged and unpunished.”
The data has been published on the same day that NICE has updated its guideline on the management of violent and aggressive behaviour in people with mental health problems when they’re being treated in the NHS.
Draft recommendations cover how to assess risk and prevent violence, how to recognise warning signs, to calm potentially violent patients and manage difficult situations (de-escalation), as well as to intervene safely when violence happens.
Commenting on the new draft guidance, Professor Mark Baker, Centre for Clinical Practice director, said: “In the 10 years since the original NICE guidance was published there have been important advances in our knowledge of managing violence and aggression in people with mental health problems. These include more information on anticipating and reducing risk, as well as ways to calm people down. We have also listened to the views of service users on physical restraint and isolation.
“Physical restraint should only be used as a last resort, once all other methods of preventing or calming the situation have failed. However, if restraint is the only course of action available, the draft guideline includes clear recommendations on how it should be done to ensure the safety of both staff and the individual.”
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