‘Safe to Care’ campaign launched
Around three in four UK Emergency Department staff have told the Royal College of Emergency Medicine that they experience or witness violence and aggression in their department on a daily or weekly basis.
That’s according to new survey data, revealed today (7 September) as part of the launch of RCEM’s Safe to Care campaign.
‘Safe to Care‘ aims to highlight the appalling levels of violence and aggression that doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff in Emergency Medicine continue to face while at work.
In the coming weeks and months, RCEM will be sharing testimonies of those who have experienced violence or aggression at work and will be calling on the four UK governments to take immediate action to ensure Emergency Department (ED) staff feel safe, and are safe, to provide care.
Levels of violence towards NHS staff has become intolerable: RCEM surveyed over 2,000 ED staff, with 96% of respondents saying they experienced violence or aggression in their ED from patients or members of the public.
More than three quarters (73%) said it was a weekly, or even daily, occurrence and around two thirds said the incidents they experienced were of a discriminatory nature.
One anonymous resident doctor told the survey: “Working in the ED, you brace yourself for a lot, but nothing truly prepares you for direct, hateful verbal abuse, especially when it’s racially charged.”
Meanwhile, an ED consultant told the survey that they had been kicked in the face by an aggressive patient lying on a trolley.
Just four per cent told RCEM that they always felt safe working in ED, and barely more than half (57%) felt safe most of the time.
If left to continue, the impact this will have on the workforce could be devastating for Emergency Medicine, with 75% of staff reporting short-term stress and anxiety, 40% experiencing burnout, 14% taking time off work – and 28% experiencing long-term stress or anxiety.
Meanwhile, many staff said they had little confidence that reporting incidents will lead to action, with fewer than half (41%) of staff who made a report saying their trust took ‘meaningful action’.
Dr Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “No one should go to work fearing or, worse, expecting, to be attacked, intimidated or abused. Nor should they lack confidence that their employers have their backs, or that the judicial system will kick in.
“Yet, that’s the reality faced by the majority of my colleagues in EDs across the country. They often do not feel safe to care for patients. It is an appalling state of affairs which is contributing towards many people seriously considering whether Emergency Medicine – or even healthcare in general – is for them.
“Tackling violence and aggression is crucial for the wellbeing of staff, whose dedication to the NHS is all too frequently being repaid in kicks, punches and abhorrent verbal abuse.
“We know that long waits and crowding are key drivers of this, but that is not the fault of staff – that’s on our governments. Every hour of every day, our Emergency Medicine teams are there for patients. It’s time staff received the respect and safety they deserve.
“This should not be a novel concept to anybody. Much has been said by us and other organisations over the years about violence and aggression towards healthcare staff. But the problem seems to be getting worse, not better.
“It’s time for action, time for governments, employers and organisations stand up for NHS staff, and time to ensure that those who intimidate, abuse or assault those who are trying to care for them face meaningful consequences for their actions.”
Violence and aggression is not always an isolated problem. Many survey respondents pointed out that long waiting times (90%), overcrowding (85%), staff shortages and corridor care (both 65%) was making the problem worse.
Tackling these issues will undoubtedly create a calmer environment in A&E, which provokes fewer incidents.
In a new briefing, RCEM is calling on government in the four nations, and NHS leaders, to make Emergency Departments safe to care by:
- Preventing violence and abuse before it occurs – starting with the eradication of long waits to be seen, crowding and corridor care, whilst strengthening security standards
- Supporting staff through better training, reporting, follow-up, and links with the police
- Improving accountability of organisations to protect and support NHS staff, with better working across systems to ensure perpetrators face justice
Dr Catherine Hayhurst, co-chair of the RCEM Quality in Emergency Care Committee, said: “Safe to Care has a very clear goal: make EDs a place in which you can work without fear of intimidation or attack.
“Some of the stories that our members have told the campaign so far have been heartbreaking – but not surprising.
“Whilst most patients and relatives continue to be a pleasure to treat, it is true that we are seeing increasing levels of unacceptable behaviour from a significant minority.
“Anyone who works in ED knows that violence and aggression towards healthcare staff has become normalised. That must end and we call on policymakers and NHS leaders to help us make EDs a safer place for staff.”
