Emergency department workers face daily or weekly violence and aggression, with staff being kicked and racially abused, health leaders have warned.
A survey of 2,126 emergency department staff by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) revealed that 96 per cent have experienced violence or hostility from patients or the public.
About 73 per cent reported this taking place weekly or daily, while two-thirds noted that incidents involved discrimination.
One resident doctor, speaking anonymously, said: “Working in the emergency department, you brace yourself for a lot, but nothing truly prepares you for direct, hateful verbal abuse, especially when it’s racially charged.”
A consultant also recounted being kicked in the face by an aggressive patient on a trolley.
Fewer than one in 20 (4 per cent) staff surveyed felt safe at all times in emergency departments, though 57 per cent felt safe most of the time.
Only 41 per cent of staff who filed a report felt their NHS trust took meaningful action.
Launching the RCEM’s new Safe to Care campaign, its president Dr Ian Higginson said: “No-one should go to work fearing – or, worse, expecting – to be attacked, intimidated or abused.
“Nor should they lack confidence that their employers have their backs, or that the judicial system will kick in.
“Yet, that’s the reality faced by the majority of my colleagues in emergency departments across the country. They often do not feel safe to care for patients.
“It is an appalling state of affairs which is contributing towards many people seriously considering whether emergency medicine – or even healthcare in general – is for them.
“Tackling violence and aggression is crucial for the wellbeing of staff, whose dedication to the NHS is all too frequently being repaid in kicks, punches and abhorrent verbal abuse.
“We know that long waits and crowding are key drivers of this, but that is not the fault of staff – that’s on our governments.
“Every hour of every day, our emergency medicine teams are there for patients. It’s time staff received the respect and safety they deserve.”
Respondents noted the problem was compounded by long waits (90 per cent), overcrowding (85 per cent), staff shortages (65 per cent) and corridor care (65 per cent).
Dr Catherine Hayhurst, co-chair of the RCEM quality in emergency care committee, said: “Some of the stories that our members have told the campaign so far have been heartbreaking – but not surprising.
“Anyone who works in emergency departments knows that violence and aggression towards healthcare staff has become normalised.
“That must end and we call on policymakers and NHS leaders to help us make emergency departments a safer place for staff.”
March figures from the wider NHS staff survey showed nearly one in seven workers were physically assaulted by a patient or member of the public in the past year – the highest rate in three years.
Additionally, one in 10 reported experiencing discrimination.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Any acts of violence, abuse or harassment towards NHS staff are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
“Everyone working in our national health service has a fundamental right to be safe at work, and it is deeply concerning that so many emergency department staff continue to experience this behaviour.
“That is why this government recently introduced new NHS staff standards, which set out the steps that every NHS employer across the country must take to prevent and reduce violence and abuse against their staff and help ensure they can do their jobs safely.”
