Healthcare workers in A&E departments endure physical attacks and verbal threats due to prolonged wait times.
In the heart of east London, a senior A&E nurse, Sarah Tappy, was left unconscious after being brutally punched by a patient. This unfortunate incident is part of a concerning trend, as physical assaults on healthcare workers in A&E departments across 89 NHS trusts in England have almost doubled between 2019 and 2024, climbing from 2,093 incidents to 4,054[1][2][3][4][5].
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has been vocal about the issue, reporting that 12-hour A&E waits have surged more than twentyfold since 2019, contributing heavily to patient frustration and aggression[1][3][4]. The RCN believes that the rising tide of violence against NHS staff is a significant issue that requires immediate attention[1].
Corridor care, where patients are treated in hospital corridors due to lack of space, leaves both patients and staff vulnerable to stress and violence[1][3][4]. This practice, born out of necessity due to chronic understaffing, creates high-stress environments that escalate tensions among patients.
The consequences of this violence are far-reaching. According to RCN general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger, violence leads to physical and mental scarring, lengthy time off, and sometimes staff never returning[1]. The RCN and other health leaders warn that without addressing these systemic issues, violence against staff will continue to rise, undermining patient safety and NHS workforce sustainability[1][3][4].
Proposed solutions focus on urgent government investment to reduce waiting times, end corridor care, and improve staff recruitment and retention. The Liberal Democrats have proposed an additional solution: providing A&E staff with a direct line to the police via a panic button[6].
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has expressed his dismay over the findings of the rising violence against A&E staff and has stated that the government aims to eradicate violence against NHS staff by "shining a light" on the extent of the issue[7]. The government is committed to ending violence against A&E staff by addressing the issue of "corridor care" in the NHS[7].
She stated that the government’s plans to reform the NHS would fail if the issue of violence is left unaddressed[4]. The Liberal Democrats, too, consider violence against hospital staff as abhorrent and want perpetrators to face the full force of the law[8].
As the situation stands, this issue reflects a strong consensus among nursing unions, NHS data, and government calls for action[1][2][3][4][5]. The health and safety of our dedicated healthcare workers, who tirelessly dedicate their lives to helping others, should be a top priority for all[2][6][7].
[1] https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/news/rcn-calls-for-urgent-action-to-protect-nhs-staff-from-rising-violence [2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62081803 [3] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/22/nhs-staff-subjected-to-hundreds-of-attacks-every-day-report-reveals [4] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nhs-staff-attacked-by-violent-patients-in-record-numbers-7r79r6r3c [5] https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/nhs-staff-attacked-by-violent-patients-in-record-numbers-9-88794.article [6] https://www.libdems.org.uk/protecting-nhs-staff-from-violence [7] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-support-nhs-staff-who-are-subject-to-violence [8] https://www.libdems.org.uk/news/liberal-democrats-call-for-rapid-action-to-protect-nhs-staff-from-violence-and-abuse
- The rise in violence against A&E staff, as highlighted by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), has been connected to increasing patient frustration, longer wait times, and high-stress environments that can be traced back to practices like corridor care and chronic understaffing.
- In an effort to tackle the issue of violence in the workplace, the Liberal Democrats have proposed providing A&E staff with a direct line to the police via a panic button, in addition to calls for urgent government investment to improve staff recruitment and retention, reduce waiting times, and end corridor care.
- Resolved action is crucial to ensure the safety of healthcare workers, with the government aims to eradicate violence against A&E staff by addressing the issue of corridor care and shining a light on the extent of the problem, while nursing unions, NHS data, and government leaders call for immediate attention to prevent further rises in violence against staff, which undermines patient safety and NHS workforce sustainability.
