A major hospital in Swindon is taking a stand against a rising tide of violence and abuse directed at its frontline staff, challenging the dangerous belief that such behaviour is 'part of the job'.
A Culture of Acceptance Confronted
The Great Western Hospital (GWH) has revived its 'Never OK' campaign after a 2024 NHS staff survey revealed a troubling gap between experience and reporting. While a quarter of staff reported harassment, bullying, or abuse from patients and the public, barely half said they would formally report such incidents. Only two-thirds said they would report physical violence.
This comes against a backdrop of shocking daily experiences. Hugo, an advanced clinical practitioner, described a recent night shift where a drunk patient hurled homophobic slurs and swung a crutch. "It's still upsetting and psychologically exhausting to deal with," he said, reflecting on a career where he has been kicked, spat at, pushed, and intimidated.
Other staff testimonies in a campaign video include a nurse left bruised and scared to return to work, a doctor spat on by a patient's relative, and a healthcare assistant punched in the face.
Police Partnership Aims to Change Perceptions
The campaign is backed by Wiltshire Police, who conducted research with 600 hospital workers. PC Becky Berni, the police liaison officer, stated the findings showed verbal aggression, physical violence, and sexual assault had become more frequent. "This has had a profound impact on frontline staff, with some living in fear of what they may face at work," she said.
Berni highlighted a critical cultural problem: staff often do not see themselves as victims. "If someone on the street saw someone get punched, they'd phone the police... But because it's happened in a hospital environment, until now that was seen as OK."
To address this, Wiltshire Police have developed a training course for hospital staff to help them recognise offences and support victims. "Our focus is not on criminalising those without capacity, but on ensuring victims receive recognition and support," Berni explained.
A Seven-Point Plan for Support and Reporting
On 17 December, the hospital launched a concrete action plan to encourage reporting, ensure victim support, and learn from incidents. The seven-point strategy includes ensuring victims receive immediate support and that colleagues help capture facts quickly while memories are fresh.
"When you've been harmed, you're not in the right mind to write a complex report," said PC Berni. "You need someone to catch you, same as you catch your patients."
A dedicated 'Never OK' email address has also been introduced for staff who find the formal reporting system too onerous. Sue Morgan, GWH's associate director of health and safety, said: "We want to see higher reporting numbers. We know the level of abuse is probably fairly constant, but we want to change the culture."
The hospital will also take firm action against perpetrators who have capacity, including calling police, issuing sanction letters, and banning them from premises (except for emergency care). Darren Pearson, chair of the Never OK working group, summed up the campaign's core message: "We come to work to do our jobs and look after people... Nobody should have to experience or tolerate these behaviours."
