Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the dissolution of NHS Protect on levels of violence against NHS workers.

NHS England’s Violence Prevention and Reduction (VPR) Standard was initiated in 2019 following the cessation of NHS Protect in 2017.

The VPR standard provides employers with guidance and resources to support them in their development of local strategies to prevent and reduce violence. The standard was refreshed in partnership with the Social Partnership Forum in December 2024. Additionally, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, accepted all recommendations related to additional action on violence prevention and reduction on 9 April 2025, as part of the Agenda for Change Pay Deal. These measures will be further strengthened by the introduction of a new set of staff standards at the national level, as detailed in the 10-Year Health Plan.