According to the latest annual NHS staff survey, one in seven staff (14.38 per cent) have experienced physical violence from their patients, relatives, or other members of the public last year.
The 2024 survey had the largest turnout in its 20-year history, with 744,358 participants. This year, the survey found that the number of NHS workers satisfied with flexible working options was at its highest level in five years (57.65 per cent).
Attacks on staff has increased by 13.88 per cent since 2023, although numbers remain below the record figures between 2020 to 2022 during and following the pandemic.
Discrimination towards staff at work has reached its highest level in five years (9.25 per cent), which is up from 8.58 per cent from the previous year. 54.09 per cent said that the discrimination they received was due to their ethnic background.
1 in 12 (8.82 per cent) NHS workers experienced unwanted sexual behaviour, including offensive comments, touching, and assault. This figure is close to the level reported in 2023 (8.79 per cent) when the question was first asked.
The NHS launched a new national sexual misconduct policy framework in October which held NHS trusts to account and implement policies allowing NHS staff to be able to report incidents of sexual misconduct anonymously.
Dr Navina Evans, chief workforce, training and education officer for NHS England said: “It’s totally unacceptable that NHS staff are facing physical violence, sexual assault and discrimination from patients and the public while at work — and I’d urge anyone affected to report incidents to their employer and the police.
“We know that the most important way to stamp out incidents of unacceptable behaviour is to give people the confidence to report it, and it is important that the voice of every member of NHS staff is heard through these surveys and acted upon.
“The NHS sexual safety charter has also now been adopted by every integrated care board and NHS trust in England to enforce a zero-tolerance approach to letting unwanted behaviours go unaddressed.”
