Management of Violence and Aggression

Background

Everyone has a duty to behave in an acceptable and appropriate manner. Staff have a right to work, as patients have a right to be treated, in an environment that is properly safe and secure.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Ashford & St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust has a statutory obligation to ensure as is reasonably practicable, a safe and secure environment for its staff. Violent, abusive behaviour and criminal acts will not be tolerated. The risks of violence to staff must be assessed and where possible action will be taken, to protect staff, patients and visitors.

NHS Protect

NHS Protect (previously known as the NHS Security Management Service) was created in April 2003 with the objective of “delivering an environment that is properly secure so that the highest possible standards of clinical care can be made available to patients”. It has policy and operational responsibility for all security management work in the NHS (Statutory Instrument 3039/2002).

This Policy document provides guidance to all staff working at Ashford & St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust) based on both the existing Health and Safety legislation and the national and legal frameworks for tackling physical and non-physical assaults. This additional legal framework was introduced in November 2003, under the direction of the Secretary of State for Health. This policy supersedes the previous NHS Zero Tolerance Campaign.

Policy Aim

The aim of this policy is to detail the Trust’s strategy in tackling violence and aggression against NHS staff. This policy has been introduced in the context of the mandatory requirement to report all cases of physical assaults to the NHS SMS. It details the avenues that are available for staff, and the Trust alike, to seek legal redress.

Policy Details

See also:

• Risk Assessment Tool
• Health and Safety Policy
• Education and Training Strategy