Hospitals in Teesside have reported a 32 per cent increase in attacks against staff members over the last twelve months, prompting a campaign to plead for prevention.
More than 800 members of staff across South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust have experienced some form of assault from patients, relatives, or the public in the course of their duties.
In response, University Hospitals Tees has launched a campaign to combat violence against staff, featuring emotive messages from children and grandchildren of staff on posters and social media.
'Violence and aggression is never acceptable'
The campaign uses images of children in job roles including radiographers, security officers, pharmacy technicians, surgeons, nurses and midwives, in hopes of reducing attacks in the hospitals.
Rachael Metcalf, group chief people officer for University Hospitals Tees said: “This campaign really highlights how our workforce feel, through real voices.
“When we issued the casting call to our 15,000 staff, we were overjoyed to receive such a depth of representation in job roles, representing our diverse workforce right across the group.
“Importantly this project is ultimately about sending the message, no matter the role or the person violence and aggression to our staff is never acceptable.”
'All NHS workers have the right to feel safe'
Carley Wilson, scrub nurse at North Tees and Hartlepool, said: “This campaign is very important to me. I have been a nurse for 15 years now and love doing my job and helping patients. It is not appropriate to receive violence and aggression when we are here to help people.”
Louise Michie, consultant obstetrician for South Tees Hospitals, said: “All NHS workers have the right to feel safe at work to allow them to provide the best possible care to our patients. The campaign is incredibly important as it highlights the message that violent attacks against our staff will not be tolerated.”
(Image: Isla, aged eight and Nevaeh, aged 11, the daughters of scrub nurse Carley Wilson, via University Hospital Tees)