Nurse reveals shocking insight into violence experienced in South East hospitals daily
Cases of physical violence against nursing staff has almost doubled in five years, according to Royal College of Nursing
A nurse representative in the South East says staff are receiving "death threats", emotional and racial abuse, and are subject to physical violence "on a daily basis" as figures show an increase of incidences across the country.
Cases of physical violence against staff has almost doubled in five years, according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
The association is calling for a reduction in lengthy waits in A&E, an end to "corridor care" and "chronic" understaffing, which it says are all contributing to the increase in violence.
Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary, says he is 'appalled' by the findings and says anyone who violates nurses "will feel the full force of the law".
"Nurses are frightened going to work"
South-East representative for the RCN, Sally Bassett, tells Greatest Hits Radio "the way our healthcare system is organised at the moment is making this violence worse. "
She continues "when you have a degree of pressure where people are being looked after in corridors, it causes people to behave in ways they perhaps wouldn't otherwise."
"We have staff that are literally having to go off sick or receive treatment themselves because of the violence they are experiencing.
"In the worst cases, we've had nurses murdered.
"It's sort of normal, and obviously tolerated by the Government."
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said more must be done to protect NHS staff.
RCN figures from 89 hospital trusts, out of a possible 129, revealed there were 4,054 cases of physical violence against A&E staff recorded in 2024, up from 2,093 in 2019.
Sally Bassett, a nurse from Oxford and lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, has experienced violence herself, she says:
"Nobody should go to work thinking this could be the day where somebody hits me, somebody stabs me, somebody throws something at me."
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “I am appalled by these findings. Nurses dedicate their lives to helping others and deserve to go about their jobs free from violence or intimidation.
“Anyone who violates this core principle will feel the full force of the law. I met with the Royal College of Nursing recently to reaffirm our commitment to standing with frontline workers, working together to stop violence against NHS staff, and improving their working conditions.
“Just yesterday I announced a new graduate guarantee to get more nurses into our NHS, and I have also committed to shining a light on the extent to which corridor care plagues our NHS, as the first step to eradicating it.. We are strengthening vital support for victims, including security training and emotional support for staff affected by violence, so no NHS worker has to suffer in silence.”
"The violence is awful"
A senior charge nurse from the East Midlands, Rachelle McCarthy, told the RCN that "even patients you would expect to be placid are becoming irate because of just how long they have to wait".
"You can only imagine the behaviour of those who are already prone to violence," she added.
Another nurse said: "It's not going to help with our retention and recruitment if you think you're going to be clobbered every shift."
Sarah Tappy, a senior sister in an A&E in east London, was knocked unconscious after being punched in the head by a patient.
"The violence is awful," she said. "And it's just constant. Nurses, doctors, receptionists - none of us feels safe."
RCN general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: "Nursing staff not only go to work underpaid and undervalued but now face a rising tide of violence.
"It leads to both physical and mental scarring, lengthy time off and sometimes staff never returning.
"Measures to keep staff safe day-to-day are crucial, but the stark reality is that unless the Government does something about lengthy waits, corridor care and understaffed nursing teams, more nursing staff will become victims of this utterly abhorrent behaviour.
"Left unaddressed, this could see plans to reform the NHS fail completely."
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: "I am appalled by these findings.
"Nurses dedicate their lives to helping others and deserve to go about their jobs free from violence or intimidation.
"Anyone who violates this core principle will feel the full force of the law.
"I met with the Royal College of Nursing recently to reaffirm our commitment to standing with frontline workers, working together to stop violence against NHS staff and improving their working conditions.
"Just yesterday I announced a new graduate guarantee to get more nurses into our NHS, and I have also committed to shining a light on the extent to which corridor care plagues our NHS, as the first step to eradicating it.
"We are strengthening vital support for victims, including security training and emotional support for staff affected by violence, so no NHS worker has to suffer in silence."
The Liberal Democrats have called for A&E staff to be given access to a panic button which would give them a "direct line" to the police.