Violence and abuse against NHS workers has reached alarming levels after one of England’s largest hospital trusts revealed nearly 2,000 incidents involving verbal threats, assaults and aggressive behaviour were recorded against staff in just 12 months.
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust said it has now introduced enhanced security measures across its hospitals following a sharp rise in dangerous incidents involving patients and visitors.
The trust, which employs nearly 20,000 staff and operates hospitals in Brighton, Worthing, Haywards Heath and Chichester, has already rolled out body-worn cameras and knife amnesty bins earlier this year. Dozens of dangerous items have reportedly been surrendered.
Dr Salwa Malik, consultant in emergency medicine and clinical lead for emergency departments at Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Sussex County Hospital, delivered a stark warning about the reality staff are facing daily.
She said: “No-one comes to work expecting to be threatened or harmed.”
Her comments come after anonymous workers described terrifying experiences including being threatened with knives, punched, choked and physically attacked while attempting to care for patients.
One member of staff recalled being “thrown against a wall like a rag doll” by a patient who had allegedly threatened to slit their throat.
Another described scenes of chaos after an individual reportedly ran through an A&E department carrying a knife, forcing staff to barricade themselves inside rooms and hide beneath desks.
The figures underline a growing national crisis within the NHS workforce.
According to the latest NHS staff survey, almost one in seven NHS workers — 14.47% — said they were physically assaulted by patients or members of the public last year. That marks the highest level seen in three years.
The survey also revealed record levels of unwanted sexual behaviour directed at healthcare workers, with nearly one in three ambulance staff reporting incidents.
Meanwhile, discrimination against NHS workers by patients and visitors also reached its highest level on record.
The Sussex trust says its new violence prevention and reduction programme aims to tackle the issue directly through improved incident reporting systems, stronger partnership working with Sussex Police and clearer enforcement procedures.
A formal warning system is also being introduced. Under the framework, patients or visitors displaying threatening or abusive behaviour may receive formal notices preventing them from attending hospital sites except in emergency situations.
Mark Rosser, head of security at the trust, said the measures were already helping to de-escalate incidents and improve staff confidence.
He explained that the knife amnesty bins provided a safe and discreet opportunity for people to surrender prohibited items before entering hospital grounds.
The trust’s chief executive, Dr Andy Heeps, described violence against NHS workers as “completely unacceptable” and stressed that protecting staff was essential to maintaining safe patient care.
The Department of Health and Social Care said it was working to ensure offenders are held accountable, adding that incidents should continue to be reported to police wherever appropriate.
The growing scale of abuse against healthcare workers is becoming one of the most pressing workplace safety concerns facing the public sector.
For many NHS employees, the issue extends beyond physical injuries. Repeated exposure to threats, intimidation and aggression is increasingly linked to burnout, anxiety and emotional exhaustion among staff already under strain from staffing shortages and rising patient demand.
Across the UK, workplace violence protections are becoming a larger part of employer health and safety responsibilities, particularly in high-risk public-facing roles such as healthcare, transport and emergency services.
Employers have a legal duty under UK health and safety law to take reasonable steps to protect workers from foreseeable risks, including violence and aggression at work.
The Workers Union believes every worker deserves the right to feel safe while carrying out their role, particularly those delivering essential frontline services to communities across the country.
As pressures continue to mount within the NHS, the challenge facing hospital trusts is no longer simply about staffing levels or waiting times. Increasingly, it is about ensuring workers can come to work without fear of intimidation, assault or abuse.
The issue is rapidly becoming not only a healthcare crisis, but a wider UK workplace safety concern.
