NHS reviews abuse of staff and patients, as legal bill exceeds {pound}82m in five years

The NHS is conducting an urgent review into physical and sexual abuse of staff on NHS premises, with recommendations expected in the autumn.News of the review came as an investigation by The BMJ and the Guardian showed “shocking” levels of sexual abuse taking place on NHS premises.1 The investigation found that 35 606 incidents of rape, sexual assault, harassment, stalking, and abusive remarks had occurred over five years (2017 to 2022), with most (58%) being cases of patients abusing staff and 20% patients abusing other patients. Nearly three quarters of incidents occurred in mental health trusts.Figures on abuse released to The BMJ under a freedom of information request show that the legal bill for physical and sexual abuse and violence on NHS premises in England between 2017 and 2022 was almost £83m. Staff and patients were both the perpetrators and the victims, with compensation of more than £45m paid out…
Read Original Article: NHS reviews abuse of staff and patients, as legal bill exceeds {pound}82m in five years »