Samantha Batt-Rawden, president of the grassroots campaigning organisation the Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK), told The BMJ that doctors continued to receive abuse despite “risking their lives since March 2020.” In a recent survey, DAUK’s members reported verbal and physical abuse including insults, racism, death threats, and violence. One respondent told the campaign, “Physical abuse is a regular part of being an emergency medicine doctor. I have been hit and bruised by many patients for a variety of reasons. All staff have a story to tell, and it’s rare that the patients ever have to face any consequences.”

“It is not enough simply to clap once a week for NHS staff,” as the public were doing in the first lockdown of 2020, says Batt-Rawden, DAUK president. “We have to create a protected workplace that doesn’t leave them at risk of abuse.”

Read the full article here: https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n739

According to the NHS staff survey, 30.1% of staff at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse from a patient, relative or member of the public in 2019.

That’s the highest proportion since comparable records began in 2014 – when 26.3% of staff reported bullying and abuse. Staff also reported rising levels of abuse from their own colleagues with 19.1% of them reporting at least one incident last year, up from 18.6% in 2018.

It’s not just bullying that’s an increasing problem. One in six (16.8%) members of staff at the trust reported at least one incident of violence from patients, relatives or members of the public last year, up from 15.8% in 2018.

Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, co-founder of Doctors’ Association UK and an intensive care doctor, said the figures were “extremely worrying”. She said: “The fact that this number is rising year on year should be a red flag to this government, especially at a time when the NHS is short of 100,000 frontline staff.

“Doctors have repeatedly told us they do not feel cared for by their workplaces, and that spiralling workloads are contributing to occupational stress and burnout.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock wrote to NHS staff following the publication of the survey. He said: “There is far too much violence against NHS staff, and too much acceptance that it’s part of the job.

“We will not tolerate assaults, physical or verbal, against NHS colleagues ‒ staff or volunteers. You should not tolerate violence or abuse either.”

Excerpt from the Examiner Live by Claire Miller read the full article here:

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/health/rude-violent-patients-bullying-huddersfield-17782820

The number of NHS staff reporting being unwell due to work related stress has increased yet again this year. In the NHS staff survey reported today over 40% of staff reported feeling unwell due to work related stress. The number has been steadily rising since 2016.

Worryingly the number of NHS staff who reported personally experiencing discrimination at work in the last 12 months has increased yet again. In particular, staff reporting discrimination at work from patients, relatives or members have the public has increased for the fifth year in a row, a 24% increase compared to 2015. Being from an ethnic minority group was given as the most common reason for discrimination.

Frontline doctors have often given this as a key reason for poor morale in the NHS, however the impact of discrimination is more wide reaching and may have an impact on career progression. It is concerning that only 71.2% of BME staff said their organisation provides equal opportunities for career progression / promotion compared to 86.9% of white respondents. Similar trends were also seen amongst staff with disabilities.

Dr Rinesh Parmar, Chair of The Doctors’ Association UK and an anaesthetic doctor said:

“Whilst there have been many improvements seen in the NHS Staff Survey we are extremely concerned that staff are reporting increasing levels of discrimination, in particular from patients, relatives and members of the public. BAME doctors make up a valued part of our workforce, as do International Medical Graduates, without which the NHS would collapse. Many BME doctors have told us they do not feel welcome in the UK anymore and there is no doubt this a reflection of this government’s hostile environment. We must do more to value BAME staff as well as those who have trained abroad, without whom the NHS would simply cease to function.”

Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, Co-Founder of DAUK and an intensive care doctor said:

“It is extremely worrying that nearly half of all respondents to the NHS staff survey reported feeling unwell with stress just in the last 12 months. The fact that this number is rising year on year should be red flag to this government, especially at time when the NHS is short of 100,000 frontline staff. Doctors have repeatedly told us they do not feel cared for by their workplaces, and that spiralling workloads are contributing to occupational stress and burnout. Too often ‘wellness’ interventions such as yoga and mindfulness are put forward to try and address this but these programmes will not fix the core issue. What NHS staff need are real improvements to their working conditions if the government has any hope of stemming the haemorrhage of staff out the NHS.”

CONTACT

press@dauk.org

1. The Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) is a trade association for UK doctors. Run by frontline NHS doctors, DAUK campaigns for patients and the NHS as well as advocating for the medical profession.

2. Results of the NHS staff survey published Tuesday 18th February. The national briefing document can be found here.

3. Last week The Doctors’ Association UK collated over 600 stories from frontline doctors about mistreatment whilst working in the NHS. A selection of these stories were published as the front page story of the Daily Mirror. Further stories can be given on request.

Previously, individual health organisations could only refuse services to patients if they were aggressive or violent. The announcement was made as new figures revealed that 28.5% of NHS staff said they had experienced harassment, bullying, or abuse from patients, relatives, or members of the public within the last 12 months.

The survey also revealed a high level of abuse experienced by staff at the hands of their own colleagues and managers. In a letter to the health workforce today, Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said: “There is far too much violence against NHS staff, and too much acceptance that it’s part of the job. Far too often I hear stories that the people you are trying to help lash out. I’ve seen it for myself in A&Es, on night shifts, and on ambulances.

“I am horrified that any member of the public would abuse or physically assault a member of our NHS staff but it happens too often.”

Results from the NHS Staff Survey 2019 also showed that:

• 36.9% of NHS staff who have frequent face-to-face contact with patients experienced at least one episode of bullying in the last 12 months

• 12.3% said they had been bullied by managers, and 19% by other colleagues

• 14.9% experienced physical violence, up slightly from 14.6% in 2018

NHS England reported that 7.2% of staff said they faced discrimination from patients over the last year – up from 5.8% in 2015. It said racism was the most common form of discrimination reported but that 2019 also saw the highest levels of sexism, and intolerance of religion and sexuality.

Earlier this month, The Doctors’ Association UK said medical staff were too frequently subjected to bullying and harassment. Excerpt from Medscape, read the full article:

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/925344

Our full quote to Medscape: Dr Rinesh Parmar, DAUK Chair said: “Whilst there have been many improvements seen in the NHS Staff Survey we are extremely concerned that staff are reporting increasing levels of discrimination, in particular from patients, relatives and members of the public. BAME doctors make up a valued part of our workforce, as do International Medical Graduates, without which the NHS would collapse. Many BME doctors have told us they do not feel welcome in the UK anymore and there is no doubt this a reflection of this government’s hostile environment. We must do more to value BAME staff as well as those who have trained abroad, without whom the NHS would simply cease to function.”

Read our full press release:

https://www.dauk.org/news/2020/2/18/daukpressreleasenhsstaffsurveybmestress