Zarah ChoudharyOne in seven NHS staff (14.38%) experienced physical violence from patients, their relatives or other members of the public in 2024, according to the latest annual NHS staff survey.
The report revealed attacks on staff have increased since 2023 (13.88%) – though numbers are below the record levels seen between 2020 to 2022 during and following the pandemic.
Staff experiencing discrimination at work reached its highest level in five years (9.25%), with more than half (54.09%) saying the discrimination they received from patients and the public was based on their ethnic background.
One in 12 (8.82%) NHS workers experienced unwanted sexual behaviour – including offensive comments, touching and assault.
The proportion of staff affected remained similar to the level reported in 2023 (8.79%) when the question was first asked.
The national education and training survey, which has also been published recently, found that 13% of learners experienced or witnessed unwanted, harmful or inappropriate sexual behaviour by patients.
The NHS launched a new national sexual misconduct policy framework in October to ensure NHS trusts had policies in place to allow NHS staff to report incidents of sexual misconduct anonymously.
Every care board and NHS trust in England has signed up to the NHS sexual safety charter, which commits them to a zero-tolerance approach to letting unwanted behaviours go unaddressed within the workplace.
Dr Navina Evans, chief workforce, training and education officer for NHS England said: “It’s totally unacceptable that NHS staff are facing physical violence, sexual assault and discrimination from patients and the public while at work – and I’d urge anyone affected to report incidents to their employer and the police.
“We know that the most important way to stamp out incidents of unacceptable behaviour is to give people the confidence to report it, and it is important that the voice of every member of NHS staff is heard through these surveys and acted upon.
“The NHS sexual safety charter has also now been adopted by every integrated care board and NHS trust in England to enforce a zero-tolerance approach to letting unwanted behaviours go unaddressed.”
Nearly three-quarters of a million people (744,358) took part in the 2024 NHS staff survey – the highest ever level in staff in its 20 year history, and over 43,500 took part in the national education and training survey.
The survey gave a snapshot of what it’s like to work in the NHS, right from the beginning of their careers, throughout their working lives, and into retirement, and are used by NHS organisations to make things better for staff and patients.
The annual staff survey also found that the number of NHS workers satisfied with flexible working options was at its highest level in five years (57.65%) while those achieving a good home and work life balance was at its highest since the question was first asked in 2021 (56.61%).
Staff satisfaction with levels of pay has risen from 25.48% in 2022 to 32.05% in the latest survey, and satisfaction with line managers has also continued to rise with seven in 10 workers (72.72%) saying they felt valued at work.
