Assaults on NHS staff reduced
December 2009
NHS staff assaults are down in England. According to the NHS Security Management Service, totally 54,758 physical assaults were reported during 2008-09 with a decrease of 1,235 compared with 2007-08.
However, NHS SMS says that most of the incidents still go unreported and insists staff to raise any concerns about security with their local security management specialist.
Currently, the NHS SMS is carrying out a workplace safety survey which will include responses from hospital and community pharmacists helping to identify the nature and scale of violence against NHS frontline staff. Results will inform its violence strategy, which is currently being reviewed.
Michelle Williams from Artemis Solutions Group who specialise in recruiting for Medical and Pharmaceutical industry comments “Of course just one incident is too many, but I’m sure most people would be pleased that the downward trend has continued.”
