Violence reduction
Statistics on violence against NHS staff
The 2023 NHS Staff Survey found that:
- Around one in seven (13.69 per cent) of all staff responding to the survey said they had experienced at least one incident of physical violence from patients, service users, their relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months.
- Staff within ambulance trusts continue to report the highest levels of violence.
- On average, 25.15 per cent of staff responding to the survey experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, service users, their relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months.
- There has been a slight increase in reporting of violence overall at work, with 73.62 per cent of staff surveyed reporting violence in 2022 compared to 72.47 per cent in 2022.
The SPF set up the Violence Reduction Subgroup in 2019 to help prevent and reduce violence to our NHS people, creating a culture of safety to ensure our people are supported, safe and secure at work.
Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard & Guidance notes
In January 2021, NHS England (NHSE) published the national Violence Prevention and Reduction (VPR) Standard, which complements existing health and safety legislation. The VPR Standard was developed in partnership with the national SPF. It delivers a risk-based framework that supports a safe and secure working environment for NHS staff, safeguarding them against abuse, aggression and violence.
Employers (including NHS employers) have a general duty of care to protect staff from threats and violence at work. The NHS Standard Contract states 'The provider must: use all reasonable endeavours to implement the NHS Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard.'
You can read the NHS Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard on NHSE’s website.
Guidance notes to be used in conjunction with the NHS VPR Standard to support implementation were published in June 2022 on NHSE's website.
Sussex Health and Care violence prevention and reduction strategy
In April 2023, Sussex Health and Care Integrated Care System launched a violence prevention and reduction strategy called Preventing and reducing violence towards our workforce. This was developed at an integrated care system (ICS) level to be used by the organisations within the ICS.
The strategy has a public health and trauma-informed approach at its core. A violence prevention and reduction strategy is key to the successful implementation of the VPR Standard. Watch Sussex's violence prevention and reduction strategy video to learn more.
#WorkWithoutFear
The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) launched the second phase of its #WorkWithoutFear campaign in July 2024. The campaign aims to highlight the profound impact abuse has on the everyday lives of ambulance staff and encourage those who may commit abuse to have greater respect for staff. View case studies from ambulance staff who have experienced violence on the AACE website and access campaign resources to get involved.