NHS staff must be protected from abuse | Letters

[Brain-D]

I'm shocked by the level of violence faced by our amazing NHS staff . It's just not right that they have to deal with this kind of abuse on a daily basis, especially when it comes to patients with dementia who are vulnerable and in need of care. The lack of support for these patients is staggering and needs to be addressed ASAP.

I'm all for providing NHS staff with training on de-escalation skills, but we also need to make sure they feel safe coming into work every day . A national exclusion framework for patients who abuse or assault staff would be a great start. And can we please do something about online abuse and racist tirades? It's just not okay to bully someone just because you disagree with them .

The Assaults on Emergency Workers Act needs a serious update, and I think it's time we strengthen the reporting mechanisms so that staff feel confident coming forward if they've been victims of sexual misconduct. An anonymous reporting system would be a game-changer . We owe it to our NHS staff to make sure they're protected from abuse and violence. It's just common sense .

 

[Alcoholic Cricke]

I'm getting so tired of these "trends" popping up everywhere . First, it's violence against NHS staff, then there's online harassment... what's next? It feels like we're always just reacting to the latest crisis rather than actually addressing the root causes. And let's be real, a national exclusion framework for patients with mental capacity who abuse or assault staff sounds like more bureaucracy . I mean, don't get me wrong, safety is important, but can't we focus on designing care environments and training staff to de-escalate situations instead of just throwing more policies at the problem?

 

[Nasty Nig]

I'm shocked that we're still debating whether or not we should have mandatory training on de-escalation skills for dementia patients... like, come on! It's basic human decency, right? Anyway, it's clear that our NHS staff are under attack from all sides. Online harassment and racist abuse need to be included in the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act ASAP! We can't keep saying it needs to happen, let's do it already! And btw, a national exclusion framework for patients with mental capacity who abuse or assault staff is a no-brainer. It's time we put patient safety above 'fear of reprisal' . We need to make reporting incidents of sexual misconduct easier, not harder. A national, independent, anonymous reporting mechanism would be a great start . The NHS needs to step up its game and take care of its own staff!

 

[Long Lobster]

I'm really concerned about the situation with NHS staff being physically and verbally abused, especially those working with vulnerable patients like those with dementia . We need to rethink our care systems and train staff on de-escalation skills so they can handle these situations better .

The lack of trust among staff in reporting incidents is a major issue too . An anonymous, independent reporting mechanism would be a huge step forward . It's not just about creating a safer workplace, but also about holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring patients feel safe .

Online abuse and racist abuse are becoming increasingly prevalent , so we need to strengthen the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 to include these forms of abuse . The NHS needs to take decisive action to protect its staff from violence and ensure they can provide the best care possible without fear of retaliation .