Violence against NHS staff down

There has been a reduction in the number of NHS staff physically assaulted in Walsall during the last year. It was announced today.

The statistics, collected by the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS), were released today and showed a fall of 60 assaults from 135 to 75 in Walsall Teaching Primary Care Trust and 17 assaults from 80 to 63 in Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust between 2004 and 2005.

Paul Jennings, Chief Executive of Walsall tPCT said: “NHS staff come to work to help people they don’t come to be abused by anyone. Actual assaults on staff are something we take very seriously indeed. At the same time we know that people do get upset about their health, and all our staff do their best to help people through emotional distress.”

The Department of Health today also published a response to a consultation on nuisance behaviour in hospitals.  The public consultation proposed a criminal office to tackle nuisance and anti-social behaviour in hospitals, including fines of up to £1000 and the power to remove these individuals from NHS premises.  Responses were overwhelmingly positive showing that the NHS and the public support measures to tackle nuisance and abusive behaviour before it becomes violent.