Date Published:
10 November 2006 |
BMA(NI) calls for immediate action to stop violence against doctors
The British Medical Association Northern Ireland is today, Friday 10th November
2006, calling on NI Health Minister, Paul Goggins MP, to take immediate action
to stop violence against doctors and other healthcare workers.
The call comes as BMA(NI) publishes the results of a survey of doctors in
Northern Ireland, carried out in September this year, to explore the incidence
of violence against doctors and to look at how such incidences impact on their
lives. The report is being sent to the Health Minister and his Department.
Almost 1,000 doctors, from across all specialties, responded to the survey.
Almost half said that violence in the workplace is a problem and more than
a quarter said that violence in the past year had increased. 56 said it had
not changed. Only two doctors reported a decrease.
Dr Brian Patterson, the BMA's NI Council Chairman, said:
" The results
of this survey bear out what we had feared, that violence in the medical workplace
has not improved and indeed is still on the increase. The campaign launched
back in March 2004 by the then NI Health Minister, Angela Smith, to tackle
violence and intimidation against HPSS staff has obviously not worked.
_ The BMA has written today to Minister Goggins
requesting an urgent meeting with him to look at how the Department should
address this issue immediately.
_ We appreciate that the DHSSPS has set up
a Zero Tolerance Group to produce policy and guidance for Trusts and Boards
to deal with violence in the NHS.
The BMA sits on this group. However, whilst deliberations continue, so does
the violence. There is action that can be taken now and we have asked the Minister
to meet with us urgently so that we can put before him the measures we believe,
if he has the will to do so, he can put in place without delay."
The BMA's survey shows that two out of five doctors said they had personally
experienced violence in the past year, the majority of whom were verbally abused
or threatened a number of times, some as many as twenty.
More than a quarter (27%) of doctors who reported experience of workplace
violence, experienced physical violence or abuse. These incidents ranged from
being kicked, scratched, shoved, deliberately urinated upon, hit and punched,
to knife assaults and being threatened with a chair, a drip stand and hot soup.
Slightly more GPs reported an increase in violence than hospital doctors,
30% compared to 28%. Amongst hospital doctors, those working in A&E, anaesthetics
and psychiatry specialties reported the highest increases.
Following a violent incident, support was received by less than two-thirds
of doctors. Around a third said that their experience of violence had affected
their work, either psychologically or physically.
Less than than 10% of doctors reported having access to a secure facility
in which to treat violent patients.
90% of doctors agreed that there should be a register of violent
patients set up in each Health Board area.
The BMA(NI) Chairman said:
" There are a number of steps the DHSSPS and
health service employers could take immediately to make an impact in tackling
this issue. Some of these are:
- Requiring Chief Executives of HSS Trusts to publish copies of local
trust policies for recording violent attacks and ensuring that alleged
perpetrators are brought to the attention of the police.
- Requiring Chief Executives of HSS Trusts to ensure robust local systems
are in place to support the victims of violence.
- Publishing a set of standards that define the rights of all HPSS employees
to practise in a safe environment and how HPSS organisations will uphold
these.
- Working with the police, court service and judiciary to ensure that
those who assault doctors, nurses and other health professionals are arrested,
prosecuted
and receive appropriate sentences.
- Requiring Chief Executives of HSS Trusts to establish and maintain
an accurate and up to date register of violent and potentially violent patients
that can
be accessed by HPSS organisations.
- Implement a more proactive approach to prosecution by Trusts and
Boards."
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by
the British Medical Association - Northern Ireland on 10 November 2006 and
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