NI health: More than 72,000 attacks on staff in five years 'appalling'

Over the past five years, health and social care workers in Northern Ireland have endured more than 72,000 instances of physical and verbal abuse, as disclosed by the Department of Health. These alarming statistics were provided to Diane Dodds, a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member, who received the data through an official written question submitted to the assembly. Dodds described the revelations as “utterly appalling,” highlighting the severity of the situation faced by healthcare professionals.

Mike Nesbitt, the Health Minister, condemned the attacks as “completely unacceptable” and emphasized that his department treats such incidents with the utmost seriousness. Dodds, serving on the health committee at Stormont, urged that those responsible for the violent acts against healthcare staff must “feel the full force of the law.” Acknowledging the stressful environments like accident and emergency departments, she firmly stated to BBC News NI that “there’s absolutely no excuse whatsoever for either physically or verbally abusing the staff who are there to help you.”

Dodds also pointed to existing body camera pilot programs within some health trusts, implemented to improve safety for staff and patients. Yet she described the need for such measures as an “indictment on our society.” She called for new legislation that would impose harsher penalties on offenders attacking healthcare workers. “The law should state that these workers who are working to help us should be protected in law from the physical abuse that we’ve seen,” she added, stressing that public sector workers in emergency services “do not deserve this” and require legal safeguards.

The statistics break down to approximately 60,000 physical assaults and over 12,000 verbal abuse cases against health trust staff during the period. Notably, the Belfast Trust experienced around 21,000 of these attacks—more than twice the number reported by the Southern Trust, which ranked second. It is important to note these figures exclude incidents reported in other healthcare settings such as health centres, independent providers, and private care homes. Dodds warned that these numbers only represent reported cases, suggesting the true frequency of abuse could be considerably higher. She expressed concern that many staff members may feel powerless, choosing to endure the abuse quietly, which she described as “a terrible reflection on society” and the state of emergency departments.

In response to these figures, the Health Minister reasserted a zero-tolerance stance on violence, recalling the introduction of a framework in 2023 designed to address the problem comprehensively. This framework outlines a structured method to prevent and respond to violent incidents, ensuring that staff receive support, incidents are properly recorded, and appropriate actions are taken against perpetrators. Nesbitt emphasized that fostering a workplace culture intolerant of aggression is an ongoing commitment. “Every member of staff has the right to feel safe and respected at work,” he said, affirming the department’s resolve “to protect and support our workforce.”

Despite these efforts, Diane Dodds expressed skepticism about the framework’s effectiveness, citing the high number of attacks as evidence that more needs to be done. She lamented the perception among the public that emergency department workers are vulnerable to abuse. “I think it’s utterly appalling that in our society that staff, who go to work day in and day out to care for us when we’re at our most vulnerable, have been subject to such levels of abuse,” she concluded

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