Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat the abuse of NHS staff.

Everyone working in the National Health Service had a fundamental right to be safe at work. NHS England’s NHS Violence Reduction Programme aims to prevent and reduce violence and aggression from patients, their families and the public, and mitigate the effects of violence and abuse on NHS staff.

A key part of this has been the creation of Violence Prevention and Reduction Standards, which help NHS organisations assess their arrangements for managing the risk of violence towards staff. Work is underway with integrated care systems to improve system working and skill mix training in tackling violence, embedding a longer term, preventative approach in line with the World Health Organization and Home Office guidance.

NHS England has invested £8.4 million into the ambulance service sector to explore the efficacy of body worn cameras in reducing violence and abuse. All ambulance trusts are now trialling the cameras and an independent evaluation is underway with a final report expected at the end of the 2024. In addition, NHS England have been working with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, to produce a national communications campaign in response to the rising levels of aggression, verbal and physical assaults against NHS ambulance staff.

The Government legislated last year through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act to double the sentence for assaults on emergency workers to a maximum of two years.