Audit report says NHS staff face “unacceptable” levels of violence

22 March 2006

NHS staff in Wales face unacceptably high levels of violence and aggression at work, according to a new Audit report.

The Assembly Audit Committee has found that staff report an average of 22 incidents of verbal or physical abuse every day and NHS trusts in Wales spent £6.3 million in 2003-04 on the consequences of violent incidents and the prevention of further incidents through training and security. The Committee’s report, Protecting NHS staff from violence and aggression, published today (Wednesday March 22), says NHS trusts are complying with their legal obligations and good practice guidelines to protect staff but need additional support in key areas. The Welsh Assembly Government’s All Wales NHS Violence and Aggression Training Passport and Information Scheme (the Passport Scheme), launched in 2004 to provide guidance to NHS staff on developing policies on various aspects of protecting staff from violence, has led to an all-Wales approach and improvements in performance management. However, there are still gaps in the information collected about the nature and causes of incidents, and some staff are reluctant to report every instance of violence and aggression. The report makes a number of recommendations, including improvements to data collection and risk assessments on the impact of any delayed transfer on a patient’s mental health, which might make them more likely to become violent. The report also recommends that the Assembly Government issues guidance to NHS trusts on increasing prosecutions, working with the police, and the data protection and human rights of patients.  The Assembly Government should monitor the impact of this guidance on staff well-being and on the development of effective management systems by trusts. Janet Davies AM, Chair of the Audit Committee, said: “Violence and aggression have a serious and detrimental effect on the lives and careers of individual members of staff affected by incidents.  They also cost the health service millions and affect the ability of NHS trusts to care for patients. Improvements have been made in tackling this issue, and it is vital that this progress continues.”