Home / Health / NHS Staff Face Alarming Rise in Violence
NHS Staff Face Alarming Rise in Violence
1 Jan
Summary
- Assaults on NHS staff rose by a fifth in three years.
- One trust recorded over 8,000 incidents of assault.
- Violence against staff occurs across all health settings.
Assaults and threats against NHS staff in England have seen a significant increase, rising by 20% between 2022 and 2024. Data reveals that over 15,000 more incidents were recorded in this period, with one trust, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, documenting an staggering 8,177 assaults on its employees in 2024 alone. These figures paint a grim picture of the daily challenges faced by healthcare professionals.
The surge in violence is not confined to specific departments, affecting staff across all health and care settings. While some trusts attribute the rise in recorded incidents to improved reporting, the overall trend is deeply concerning. Examples include shocking criminal cases where staff were subjected to violent attacks, resulting in serious injuries and lengthy prison sentences for perpetrators.
Organizations like the RCN stress that this violence causes significant physical and mental scarring, impacting staff well-being and the broader healthcare workforce. Calls are being made for ministers to address underlying causes, such as A&E pressures and staffing levels, to curb these unacceptable incidents and ensure staff safety.
