30 physical attacks a week on Western Trust staff

HEALTH staff were physically attacked on at least 30 occasions each week during the height of the pandemic last year.

New figures reveal that an average of four incidents of violence against key workers in the Western Trust were reported every day in the period from April until September 2020, totalling over 1,300.

Health authorities released the statistics in a bid to highlight the levels of physical and verbal abuse experienced by their staff. In fact, the Trust says that incidents of abuse fell only slightly in the next six months up until March this year.

The pandemic undoubtedly added stress on patients and their families, but frontline healthcare staff were – and still are – working in a highly pressurised environment.

Abuse of healthcare staff, unfortunately, has always been a problem, but the rates of physical and verbal abuse shot up when the pandemic was declared, and have remained high.

Physical assaults rose by over 200 from 573 to 738 during the Covid outbreak, while there was a rise of over 50 in the number of reported verbal assaults.

Although the exact nature of the phsyical attacks in the Western Trust area – which covers Omagh district, Fermanagh Strabane and Derry – has not been revealed, NHS workers throughout the North have complained of being kicked, scratched and spat at while doing their jobs.

Andy McKane, head of the local Unison branch, which represents healthcare workers, said a “zero tolerance policy” must be adopted to curb attacks.

“This is an issue which needs addressed as a matter of grave urgency so that healthcare staff can perform their duties without the fear of being assaulted. They must have confidence that they have the full support of senior management and the law if needs be.”

The chairs of all the Health and Social Care Trusts have now written to all Stormont MPs calling for their support.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, Colm Gildernew, who is chair of Stormont’s Health committee also called for a zero tolerance policy to be adopted.

“Health service workers have gone above and beyond during the pandemic to save lives and keep people safe, often working in very challenging circumstances,” he said.

“They, and all workers, should never have to face abuse, attack, intimidation or threat in the workplace.”