Sharp rise in prosecutions for assault of NHS workers
There has been a 15-fold increase in one year in the number of prosecutions of people who assault NHS workers.
The increase — from 51 cases in 2002–03 to 759 in 2004–05 — follows
a drive by the NHS Security
Management Service to ensure that sanctions
are taken against people who attack NHS staff.
Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt said: “Although I
am pleased with this increase, it also illustrates the extent of the
problem.”
A range of measures to try to protect staff has been put in place by
the NHS SMS since November 2003. These include the creation of a legal
protection unit to ensure that action is taken against anyone who attacks
an NHS worker, including bringing private prosecutions, and a network
of security management specialists to investigate assaults in partnership
with the police.
There is also a national reporting system so that the nature of the problem
can be properly assessed and repeat offenders can be tracked.
Jim Gee, chief executive of the NHS SMS, said: “We are determined
to protect NHS staff from violence so that they can protect the public’s
health.
An NHS SMS spokesman said that all 759 prosecutions had been successful. |
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