WE WILL WIPE OUT ATTACKS IN HOSPITALS

New pact to protect NHS staff

HEALTH bosses have vowed to crack down on violent patients after it was revealed one in seven staff have suffered abuse while working for the NHS.

Attacks on doctors and nurses have surged, with 15% of NHS employees being assaulted or threatened in the past 12 months.

Now Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been forced to intervene, rolling out the first violence-reduction strategy.

Staff in high-risk areas will be given training to deal with potentially violent situations.

This includes paramedics, frontline A&E employees and mental health nurses.

Mr Hancock said: “It is hard to understand how anyone could think of attacking nurses, doctors and paramedics.”

Hospitals will have to report all attacks to police, who will compare violence figures with other hospitals and ensure thugs are prosecuted quickly.

Kim Sunley, of the Royal College of Nursing, welcomed the announcement.

OUR wonderful NHS staff must feel safe at work.

The job is hard enough to do without having to worry about your own health.

So to hear of soaring numbers in attacks on workers is sickening. As many as one in seven have suffered abuse at the hands of violent patients. It cannot go on.

The 1.5million staff of our fantastic health service deserve much better.

They must be afforded the right support and protection.

There is no excuse to attack anyone in their workplace.

Especially not if you’re a patient benefiting from the best free health care in the world.