London NHS hospital staff report 60% increase in physical assault

“I’ve been punched and scratched and kicked,” says senior nurse Jess Turnbull, a sister on the A&E unit at St Thomas’ Hospital in Waterloo.

“A colleague of mine has had their jaw broken. People have been chased with knives in the department. It can be hard to carry on with your job when there’s violence and aggression going on.”

Turnbull’s experience reflects the findings of a recent NHS survey which found a 60% increase in physical assaults on staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust year-on-year.

The trust is now launching a campaign reminding people that violent and abusive behaviour is unacceptable and that these acts of aggression have a lasting effect on teams and individuals.

Turnbull has been a sister at St Thomas’ Hospital for many years, but says it is becoming an ever more difficult environment to work in.

She said abuse from patients, their relatives or other members of the public lingered with her for “a long time afterwards”.

She said: “I always find it quite horrible when somebody’s threatening to be violent towards you, especially when they say something like ‘I’m going to get you after work’.

“You don’t want to feel unsafe leaving your shift at the end of the day. I always find that’s quite hard to hear.

“Because it’s so busy there, you don’t have a lot of time to process what’s happened. You just need to get on and see the next patient.”