NHS mental health workers face violent attacks ‘on a daily basis’

PHYSICAL assaults on mental health staff have risen by a quarter in the past four years, as nurses say they are working in a “powder keg” environment.

The figures, which include attacks where one worker was stabbed to death and another had part of their thumb bitten off, come at a time of staff shortages with fewer people on hand to deal with the violence, union leaders claim. There were 42,692 attacks in 2016-17 on staff at NHS mental health trusts that responded to Freedom of Information requests. The same trusts recorded 33,620 assaults in 2012-13.

The findings coincide with a survey by the Unison union of 1,000 mental health workers, which found more than two in five staff (42 per cent) have been on the receiving end of violent attacks in the last year. Sharon Morris, a nurse who was attacked by a patient, causing her to miss weeks of work to recover from her injuries, told the BBC’S 5 live Investigates: “People are now much more unwell when they come into units. There’s a shortage of beds and staff are stressed.”

She added: “It’s a powder keg. It just needs the slightest thing to happen.”

Assaults were up by more than a third in England and there were also more than 17,000 attacks by patients on other patients in the UK last year. Unison said it painted a bleak picture of the country’s mental health services.

Sara Gorton, the union’s head of health, said: “Many staff are having to work alone, making violent attacks more likely. It’s no wonder so many are planning on leaving for less stressful, safer work elsewhere.” Comments published in the report from staff suggested that “violent or aggressive incidents happen on a daily basis”, and that they “go with the job”.

Eighty seven per cent blamed a shortage of staff as the main reason behind the rise. A Department of Health spokesman said: “It is completely unacceptable for NHS staff to face violence or aggression at work. All incidents should be reported and we expect the NHS to work with the police to seek the strongest possible action.”