More than 660 incidents of abuse towards NHS staff at Rotherham trust
There were 664 recorded incidents of abuse towards NHS staff at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust in the 19 months to July this year, figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request show.
The data covers both physical and verbal abuse across hospital wards, the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre (UECC), and community services.
The highest number of incidents was recorded in general medicine (227 cases), followed by the UECC with 170 cases.
Breakdowns show staff were subjected to 270 cases of physical assault, 166 instances of verbal abuse, and 15 racial incidents. There were also six reports of sexual physical abuse and nine of sexual verbal abuse. Five incidents involved a weapon.
Trust bosses said they were taking the issue “extremely seriously” and had introduced new measures, including lightweight body-worn cameras, stronger warning and banning letters, and new warning markers on patient records to alert staff to individuals with a history of abuse.
Bob Kirton, managing director of the trust and chair of its violence reduction working group, said:
“Abuse of NHS staff is a national issue and unfortunately is a challenge facing our colleagues too. Nobody should feel unsafe while at work.
“We are committed to tackling any deliberate abuse of our colleagues and challenging it with positive action.”
The trust said it was working closely with South Yorkshire Police, who had taken enforcement action in some cases, including a successful prosecution.
Mr Kirton added that while the measures had not stopped abuse altogether, there had been a 5% rise in staff reporting incidents in the 2024 staff survey, which he described as a sign that employees felt more empowered to come forward.
Staff affected by abuse are also offered support through the trust’s employee assistance programme.