§ Dr. Evan HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many assaults there have been on628W (a) ambulance staff/paramedics and (b) clinical staff in accident and emergency departments in hospitals in each year since 1997. [20832]
§ Mr. Denis MurphyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) health service staff working in accident and emergency departments and (b) ambulance staff have suffered (i) verbal and (ii) physical abuse while carrying out their duties in each of the last five years. [21467]
§ Ms BlearsInformation on the levels of verbal and physical abuse by individual staff group is not collected centrally, but may be held at a local level by national health service employers. Data on violent incidents involving all staff in the NHS were not collected centrally for 1996–97 or 1997–98.
The Department conducted a survey of NHS trusts in England in 1998–99. The survey found that, on average, seven violent incidents were recorded each month per 1,000 staff. This is equivalent to approximately 65,000 violent incidents against NHS trust staff each year. Details of the survey can be found in Health Service Circular 1999/229: "Managing Violence, Accidents and Sickness Absence in the NHS", a copy of which is in the Library.
Figures for recorded violent incidents in 2000–01 are currently being analysed by the Department.