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The number of attacks towards Health staff has been steadily rising over the past four years – with more than 300 incidents of violence recorded last year alone, Express can reveal.
A total of 310 incidents were last year recorded against staff across Health and Community Services facilities and in community settings – and half of these, 156, were aimed at healthcare assistants, known as HCAs.
The second-most affected staff group were nurses, with 99 incidents last year.
The Royal College of Nursing told Express they condemned any kind of violence against staff.
South East Operational Manager, Sarah Johnston called such incidents "completely unacceptable" and encouraged staff members who experience violence to "speak out" with support from their employer and "know the routes" to making a report.
Regional Officer from Unite the Union Jersey, James Turner, also said it has a "zero-tolerance approach" to "any level of aggression or violence" towards its members – nurses and health care assistants.
A request about incidents of violence – physical abuse or assault – made by Express under the Freedom of Information Law found that the numbers had increased year-on-year from 2020.
In 2020, there were 162 incidents recorded, which rose to 170 in 2021.
However, a large rise saw the figure jump to 272 in 2022 and even higher, to 310 in 2023.
And there have been 114 so far this year – close to the total number in 2020.
The Department said no records of any claim or legal action resulting from the incidents had been identified.
The response was able to break down these numbers by type of role – but only from November 2022 onward, due to a system update.
In 2023, Health Care Assistants – also known as HCAs and often at the lower-end of the salary scale – recorded the most incidents.
A total of 156 out of 313 records related to this group, who are active in all areas of the care sector, including nursing homes.
And nurses, including charge nurses, sister nurses and agency nurses, recorded more incidents than other groups.
There were several groups in which zero incidents were recorded – dentists, social workers, psychologists, student nurses and assistant managers.
All other groups received less than five, including ambulance staff, consultants, midwives, physiotherapist, speech therapists.
Express has asked, separately, for a breakdown of the severity of incidents affecting staff under the Freedom of Information Law in June, but has received requests for extension from the department.
Some staff have told Express they feel interactions between patients and staff had become more challenging, particularly since covid, with some querying whether fear or frustrations around waiting times may sometimes lead them to lash out. One of the main risk factors is consumption of alcohol and/or drugs, they say.
One particularly serious case in the Magsitrate's Court last year highlighted this.
Pictured: A man who punched a doctor and shoved a nurse was called to appear in the Magistrate's Court last year over the incident.
A man who was taken to Accident and Emergency at the General Hospital in February shoved a nurse and punched a doctor.
He admitted assault, and blamed the effects of consuming alcohol while on medication. While the court found the case passed the custodial threshold, the Assistant Magistrate decided to impose a fine.
Last year, the Health Advisory Board heard that the Health Department was working more closely with police to better handle incidents of abuse, and in particular racial abuse. In May of this year, an anti-racism campaign was launched by HCS, with staff urged to report discrimination or hate crimes to the police.
"All of the staff in a hospital are there to help"
RCN South East Operational Manager, Sarah Johnston, made a plea for more understanding and care for staff from the public.
"Nursing staff go into work to care for others, and it is completely unacceptable that any member of the nursing workforce goes to work and is abused," she said.
"We know that as a patient or family/friend of a patient it can be really scary to go to hospital. It's a time of heightened emotions for everyone but lashing out at staff will not solve anything. All of the staff in a hospital are there to help."
Pictured: The RCN said they realise some people are fearful when they go to hospital, but that "lashing out... will not solve anything".
She added that violence can be anything from intimidation to constant harassing to actual physical harm, going on to say: "Staff must feel able to raise a complaint against anyone being violent towards them, shouting and being aggressive as well as physical assaults."
Nurses must be supported by their employers to speak out, she added, and "know the routes to report" incidents of violence.
"We will support the employer to explore where there might be issues and how to address these," she said.
Mr Turner, from Unite the Union Jersey, which represents nurses and HCAs, said: "Unite the Union are fully aware of cases of violence being reported towards workers across all of our broad range of membership within Health in Jersey, we have a zero-tolerance approach to any level of aggression or violence towards our membership and wider employee group.
"We will work with the employer to develop robust policies and procedures to reduce and ultimately prevent violence in the workplace."
Express has contacted the Health Department for comment.
Are you a member of Health staff who has experienced abuse at work? Could anything be done to make you to feel safer? The Express team is happy to speak in confidence – email editor@bailiwickexpress.com.
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