Calls have been made for a zero tolerance approach to aggression against NHS workers in Blackpool after new figures showed 456 incidents of violence against staff were reported during 2023/24.
The figures, which were part of a report to a meeting of the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals board of directors, showed incidents included both verbal and physical assaults.
Out of the total – physical assaults accounted for 279 attacks on staff, with 177 incidents being verbal assaults.
Board chairman James Wilkie said the number of incidents was ‘a lot’ and questioned whether other hospital trusts had the same number of incidents happening to their staff.
He said: “Are the approaches we have got in place satisfactory because this is something we really need to have zero tolerance on in terms of our commitment to the staff who work for us in very difficult circumstances on occasion.”
He asked for further reports on the issue so the board could help the Trust deal with the problem.
Angela Parfitt, deputy director of quality governance at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said it had been nationally recognised that there had been an increase “in terms of violence and aggression within the NHS.”
She added: “For us we have a more challenging demographic so we are higher but that is reflective of that, so we have to keep that balance in context.”
She said the Trust’s health and safety committee was carrying out work around sanctions to ensure there was consistency around that.
Training had also been offered to staff in how best to handle violence and aggression which the report said had “improved staff confidence in conflict resolution techniques” and was “reducing the risk to staff of verbal and physical assault.”
A national NHS Staff Survey carried out in 2023 found nearly 14 per cent of staff who took part said they had experienced at least one incident of physical violence from patients, service users, relatives or other members of the public in the previous 12 months.
Recent national reports have also revealed at least 55 ambulance staff are abused or attacked every day across the country, according to the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.
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