Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) and Hampshire Constabulary have joined forces as part of Operation Cavell (Op Cavell), allowing both services to work closer together than ever before to prevent violence, abuse, and aggression towards NHS staff.
The introduction of Operation Cavell comes as more and more NHS staff face either violence or abuse in their roles, with the trust having logged over 1,200 such incidents since 2018.
“No one should experience violence, abuse or intimidation at work. Unfortunately, it happens all too often for many of our colleagues,” said HHFT chief executive Alex Whitfield.
“We are committed to ensuring that our staff, who do so much for so many, feel safe and supported at all times. Operation Cavell builds on our longstanding links with Hampshire Constabulary and will help us deliver on that commitment.”
Op Cavell involves a new reporting strategy, which makes it easier and clearer to identify the facts. The focus is on holding people accountable for their actions and learning from every incident to prevent any recurrence in the future.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service over 50 percent of NHS staff feel that being assaulted is ‘part of the job’. However, in some cases, following the launch of Op Cavell, the number of staff expecting to be abused at work has halved and the number of convictions has increased by 20 percent.
Following the announcement, Detective Inspector Abbie Leeson, from Hampshire Constabulary said: “I am pleased that Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is taking such a proactive approach towards Operation Cavell. We are working with NHS Trusts across Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight to ensure that robust processes are in place to encourage reporting and allow thorough investigation of these kinds of incidents.”
Op Cavell - No violence. No abuse. No fear. - is rolling out across all HFHT sites from Wednesday 1 December 2021.
