As a Trust, we are committed to ensuring that people are provided with a work environment that is safe and secure. We strongly believe that everyone has the fundamental right to be safe at work, be respected and that no one should be subjected to violence and aggression, physical or verbal.
Whilst most of our patients and visitors show appreciation and respect, the actions of a small minority can significantly impact the professional and personal lives of our staff.
What is violence and aggression in the NHS?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) define violence as: “Any incident in which a person working in the healthcare sector is verbally abused, threatened or assaulted by a patient or member of the public in circumstances relating to his or her employment.”
Our stance on violence and aggression
Any form of violence or aggression towards our staff is not acceptable and as an organisation we will act. This applies to all patients, carers and their families who use our services, as well as visitors to our hospitals.
We also recognise our duty to empower staff to challenge behaviour when they see it happening to colleagues, and several pieces of work are underway to help support a culture whereby abuse and discrimination will not be accepted.
How we take action
There is a range of action that we can take following an incident of violence and / or aggression. This includes (but is not limited to):
- verbal or written warnings
- restricted treatment
- removal from premises
- prosecution
- ensuring patients with enhanced care needs are getting the right support and/or interventions
- providing an appropriate environment for patient care.
We partner with Hampshire Constabulary under an agreement called Operation Cavell. This is designed to ensure police prioritise criminal investigations of assaults against NHS staff, increase convictions and hold those responsible for assaults to account.
Supporting staff after an incident
The welfare of our staff is of the utmost importance.
We encourage any colleague who is subject to violence and / or aggression to report the incident to make sure that Hampshire Hospitals is a safe place to work, and people are supported after the incident.
