The government has announced plans for more support measures to tackle violence against NHS staff and improve their working lives.
The measures are part of a range of recommendations accepted by the government under the Agenda for Change contract, which covers over a million frontline NHS workers.
The 2024 NHS Staff Survey revealed that one in seven experienced physical violence from patients, their relatives or other members of the public and a quarter of NHS staff experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abused in the last 12 months.
New measures are set to be put in place to encourage staff to report incidents of violence or aggression towards them, and to ensure this information is collected at national level. The data will be analysed to better understand if certain staff groups, whether by race, gender, disability status, or role, face disproportionate risks.
The new measures will also address longstanding issues around ensuring staff are paid correctly for the work they deliver.
The Department of Health and Social Care is also working closely with NHS England, NHS Employers and the Staff Council to implement a national digital system to support the fair and consistent application of the Job Evaluation Scheme.
In a keynote speech to UNISON’s National Health Care Service Group Conference in Liverpool, Wes Streeting, said: "No one should go to work fearing violence. Yet one in every seven people employed by the NHS have suffered violence at the hands of patients, their relatives, or other members of the public.
"Protecting staff from violence is not an optional extra. Zero tolerance for violence and harassment of NHS staff. It’s a commitment to make sure healthcare workers can focus on saving lives without fear for their own safety.
"I owe my life to the NHS staff who cared for me through kidney cancer. I owe a debt of gratitude that I will never be able to repay, but I certainly intend to try. You were there for me, and I’ll be there for you."
Other measures include enhanced career progression support for nurses such as more learning and development, leadership training and career coaching for managers and new guidance for employers on how to recognise overseas experience on appointment into the NHS and share best practice on recruitment and selection processes. There are also plans to introduce steps to reduce reliance on expensive agency workers by making it easier for NHS staff to take up flexible working and developing good practice guidance on working patterns for existing staff and encourage six-month career reviews tailored specifically for ethnic minority nurses to identify progression pathways and provide targeted interview preparation support.
36 recommendations have been accepted by ministers.
