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<p>In January 2021, and in conjunction with the Social Partnership Forum, NHS England
developed and published a national Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard. This
supports employers in their efforts to provide a safe and secure working environment
for National Health Service staff, with a focus on risk management, training and support
for those impacted by incidences of violence or aggression.</p><p>£8.4 million has
been invested into the ambulance service sector to explore the efficacy of body worn
cameras in reducing violence and abuse. All ambulance trusts are now trialling cameras
and an independent evaluation is underway with a final report expected towards the
end of 2024.</p><p>In 2022, the Government legislated through the Police, Crime, Sentencing
and Courts Act to double the sentence for assaults on emergency workers to a maximum
of two years.</p><p>We do not currently have a national mechanism to assess the levels
of violence and aggression in the NHS on staffing levels. NHS employing organisations
have a duty of care to support the health and safety of their staff and they do collect
data on incidents. This is used to inform local strategies for reducing and dealing
with violence and aggression.</p><p>The NHS Staff Survey does ask questions relating
to incidences of violence, harassment, and abuse. The 2022 NHS Staff Survey indicated
that 14.7% of NHS staff have self-reported that they had experienced at least one
incident of physical violence from patients, service users, relatives, or other members
of the public in the last 12 months.</p>
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