A&E nurse: 'We should be able to do our job without fear of attack'

Patients who abuse or assault staff at Southampton General Hospital are being warned they could be refused treatment and face prosecution.

360 incidents of physical, verbal, gender, homophobic and racial abuse have been reported by the Trust this year alone.

Security officers are now also based within the Emergency Department, where unfortunately many of the incidents have occurred, to protect staff and patients 24 hours a day.

They have the power to remove a patient, regardless of whether they are waiting for treatment, if their behaviour is unacceptable.

Steve Harris, chief people officer at University Hospital Southampton, said abuse in any form against staff would not be tolerated.

He said: “There is no excuse for any form of abuse or discrimination against a member of our workforce and these robust new measures are about reinforcing that.

“Our staff must be able to come to work feeling safe and protected – without fear of violence, injury or abuse - so they can provide the very best care for those in our community who need it most. Unfortunately, for far too long, some staff have accepted abuse or assault as part and parcel of the job and many cases go unreported. This has to end.

“Our message is simple – violence and aggression at any level is not an occupational hazard, it is a criminal offence. Working with Hampshire Police, we will be pursuing convictions while supporting our staff to deal with the personal impact of these incidents. Their protection, safety and welfare of our staff is our top priority.”

Amy* was seriously injured as she tried to protect an elderly woman from a violent patient in the A&E department last July.

The 34-year-old was on a day shift and one of several nurses caring for patients in a bay when a man who had come to ED for medical help became aggressive.

Despite efforts to calm him down, she remembers hearing raised voices and turned around just at the moment a blood monitor machine was hurled straight at a computer station.

Amy said: “I just froze as the man started to tear down the curtains by his bed. One of my colleagues shouted to evacuate - we needed to get the other patients out.

“The patient next to him was elderly and she was petrified. I put my arm around her to carefully edge her out of the way while he had his arms raised.

“I was sheltering the lady as I walked her out when something hit me with such force that it floored me.”

The man had picked up a chair and thrown it, knocking her to the ground.

Amy added: “I remember crawling out of the bay because I was so scared to stand up. I was shaking uncontrollably; it was so traumatic.

Security were called and restrained the man while the remaining patients were ushered to safety.

Amy suffered major bruising across her neck, back and shoulder. She was sent home from work.

The man who assaulted her appeared in court charged with criminal damage and assaulting an emergency worker.

He was given an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered to pay £750 compensation.

Amy, who has now changed roles, said: “Nobody wants to end up in the emergency department and I understand that people are stressed or sometimes frustrated when we are busy and they have to wait – but we are always trying to do our best.

“There has always been a sense of a fairly high threshold among staff, a feeling that we will tolerate it to a point - but the fact is this isn’t acceptable at any level.

“I welcome the work now underway between UHS and the police. My colleagues and I come to work to care for sick patients and we should be able to do that without the fear or threat of violence or aggression at any level.”

Mr Harris added: "Workplace violence and abuse in any form is unacceptable and it will not be tolerated. It is particularly concerning to see those numbers have risen at a time when our staff are continuing to deal with COVID while working incredibly hard to maintain services in the face of unprecedented emergency demand.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Hampshire Constabulary under Operation Cavell and are urging staff to report all incidents so those responsible can be dealt with appropriately.”

Detective Inspector Abbie Leeson said: “I’m pleased that University Hospitals Southampton is taking such a proactive approach towards Operation Cavell.

“We are working with NHS Trusts across Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight to ensure that robust processes are in place to encourage reporting and allow thorough investigation of these kinds of incidents.

“Emergency workers carry out vital roles in our communities to help the most vulnerable, they should not face abuse or assault while undertaking their jobs”.

*The name of the ED nurse has been changed to Amy to protect the identity of the victim.