Home / Health / Nurses Face Escalating Abuse: A Growing Crisis
Nurses Face Escalating Abuse: A Growing Crisis
2 Oct
Summary
- Nurses report a significant increase in patient abuse over the past five years.
- Verbal attacks and physical assaults against healthcare staff are on the rise.
- One trust recorded over 2,300 security incidents, including hundreds of assaults.
Nurses Shannon Malloy and Lydia Taylor have highlighted a significant escalation in abuse from patients, a trend they say has "massively" worsened over the past five years. Taylor expressed dread about going to work and considered leaving nursing due to the increasing fear of patient aggression. This situation reflects a national increase in violence against healthcare personnel. The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed a rise in workplace violence reports among NHS staff for the second consecutive year.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) has established a dedicated team to combat rising abuse. Between April 2025 and March 2026, STSFT documented 2,341 security incidents. Of these, 885 involved verbal abuse and 530 were physical attacks, marking a 14% and 2% increase respectively from the previous year, underscoring the growing challenge faced by healthcare providers.
