Rise in attacks on Redbridge NHS staff
King George Hospital - Credit: Archant
Medical staff working in Redbridge and Havering were the victims of more than 400 physical assaults over the last 12 months.
The figures, compiled by NHS Protect, show attacks rose from 359 in the year 2013/14 to 415 over the last year.
The assaults were against staff working for the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) and the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT).
The majority involved “medical factors” – meaning they were carried out by people whose states of mind were impaired by illness, treatment or severe learning disabilities.
Over the last year, a total of 293 assaults have been reported at NELFT, which provides services at Goodmayes Hospital.
You may also want to watch:
Of the attacks, 288 involved medical factors and one criminal sanction was issued.
The total number of incidents is up on the previous year, when there were 200 – all involving medical factors.
Most Read
- 1 Young Citizen: Ilford student who assisted at crash campaigns for more first aid
- 2 Sam Tarry MP urges Sadiq Khan to block Goodmayes Tesco development
- 3 Redbridge issued more than 2,800 Blue Badge fines in 2020, data shows
- 4 Barkingside man charged with intending to supply cannabis
- 5 Charity urges council to tackle alleged Ilford Lane anti-social behaviour
- 6 Protestors decry 'privatisation' of NHS outside Loxford Practice
- 7 Guilty: Who was jailed across east London in July?
- 8 Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge 'least active' boroughs in London, study finds
- 9 King George Hospital gets new ultrasound rooms and upgraded machines
- 10 BHRUT doctors taking on triathlon in memory of colleague’s daughter
BHRUT, which runs King George Hospital, Barley Lane, Goodmayes, reported a total of 122 assaults in the year 2014/15, with 92 involving medical factors.
This was a decrease from 159 assaults in 2013/14. Three criminal sanctions, which can include fines, prison sentences or community orders, were handed out as a result.
Six civil and administrative sanctions were also issued – these can include banning orders.
Wendy Matthews, BHRUT’s interim chief nurse, said: “The number of these kinds of incidents is low across our sites, but the safety of our staff is paramount and we take any instances of physical or verbal abuse extremely seriously.
“We work closely with the police and have a community support officer based at Queen’s Hospital.
“We care for some very vulnerable people and know that in some cases, patients may not be completely aware of how abusive their actions can be against the very people trying to help them.”
The Recorder has approached NELFT for a comment.
