Zero Tolerance Approach Urged By Directorate At NHS Tayside

[Arthur Little]

This follows reports of abuse - BOTH physical and verbal - directed towards nursing & ancillary staff, by patients and visitors alike, at hospitals across the Health Board, where the number of such cases [allegedly] rose from 926 in 2014/15 to 1,438 in more recent times, amounting to a surge of 46 percent to date:

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-c...81496456569752 ...

[Doc Alan]

The reported increase in physical or verbal aggression from patients or visitors to NHS Tayside staff is indeed unacceptable, and should not be tolerated.


Unfortunately Tayside is not alone. Violence against health workers - including nurses, paramedics and doctors, and bullying by staff themselves - has increased across the UK NHS in recent years. It’s not even a problem limited to the UK - for example, militants have repeatedly targeted polio vaccination programmes in Pakistan.


Some staff groups are more at risk than others, depending on the part of the NHS in which they work and whether they are " frontline " or not. Workers in Accident and Emergency, and mental health staff, are at increased risk.


GPs and their staff are also increasingly facing violence, harassment, and threatening behaviour in their surgeries. When my late mother was doing GP visits in Glasgow years ago, she was safe, with local people actually helping her locate her patient.


Clearly NHS staff should be able to come to work without fear or violence, abuse, or harassment from whatever source. The NHS is claimed to have had " zero tolerance ", with an increased number of offenders and NHS organizations prosecuted, since the turn of this century.


Possible reasons for the increase include an NHS struggling to cope with increased demand, impatience, frustration, anxiety, resentment, and the effects of alcohol and drugs.


While the vast majority of patients still appreciate their treatment, there is obviously room for improvement. No healthcare worker would wish to refuse giving treatment, advice, or information, for whatever reason.


Suitable training and information, adequate resources including numbers of staff, better communication with patients so they are fully informed, and encouragement to report any kind of abuse to senior staff and the police - without fear of " whistleblowing " - might all help.

[Arthur Little]

The reported increase in physical or verbal aggression from patients or visitors to NHS Tayside staff is indeed unacceptable, and should not be tolerated.


Unfortunately Tayside is not alone. Violence against health workers - including nurses, paramedics and doctors, and bullying by staff themselves - has increased across the UK NHS in recent years. It’s not even a problem limited to the UK - for example, militants have repeatedly targeted polio vaccination programmes in Pakistan.


Some staff groups are more at risk than others, depending on the part of the NHS in which they work and whether they are " frontline " or not. Workers in Accident and Emergency, and mental health staff, are at increased risk.


GPs and their staff are also increasingly facing violence, harassment, and threatening behaviour in their surgeries. When my late mother was doing GP visits in Glasgow years ago, she was safe, with local people actually helping her locate her patient.


Clearly NHS staff should be able to come to work without fear or violence, abuse, or harassment from whatever source. The NHS is claimed to have had " zero tolerance ", with an increased number of offenders and NHS organizations prosecuted, since the turn of this century.


Possible reasons for the increase include an NHS struggling to cope with increased demand, impatience, frustration, anxiety, resentment, and the effects of alcohol and drugs.


While the vast majority of patients still appreciate their treatment, there is obviously room for improvement. No healthcare worker would wish to refuse giving treatment, advice, or information, for whatever reason.


Suitable training and information, adequate resources including numbers of staff, better communication with patients so they are fully informed, and encouragement to report any kind of abuse to senior staff and the police - without fear of " whistleblowing " - might all help.

Quite so, Alan ! GREAT response, as always, from someone 'in the know' ... like yourself ...