In 2000/2001, there were 84,273 reported violent or abusive acts committed on NHS staff.

Despite the invaluable service they provide, all too often many NHS staff, regardless of their position, experience harassment and violence in their workplace. 

Workplace violence affects all professional groups, genders and work settings in the health sector. The highest rates of offences, however, were reported by ambulance staff, nurses and doctors.

Traumatic incidents experienced by NHS staff can include: 

	Physical violence and assault
	Bullying: In the United Kingdom, nearly 40 per cent of National Health Service (NHS) staff reported being bullied in 1998.
	Verbal abuse
	Sexual abuse
	Stress (see Stress Page)
	Racial and Sexual harassment

Any of these events can cause trauma injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (see trauma pages)

The stress induced by the trauma of being the victim of a violent act can ultimately create an ineffective working environment involving high levels of sickness absence, accidents, errors, low morale and poor performance. 

This can result in a decline in job satisfaction, to staff resigning from their jobs and to an ultimate reduction in the quality of service provision. It can also lead to damages being sought by the injured party.

In the shorter term, acts of harassment or aggression towards staff can affect their immediate performance.

An employer owes an employee a statutory duty of care to ensure the health and safety at work of all employees, which will include a duty to protect against bullying and harassment as far as is reasonably practicable. 

These commitments are also enshrined in the Government’s modernisation strategy for the NHS.

The Red Poppy Company provides NHS managers and staff alike with access to specialist trauma management services to reduce the impact of violence in the workplace.

As a good employer currently you may already use debriefing and have in house occupational health provision which your staff are referred to in the event of trauma. 

These services are however known to be neither effective or safe with regard to managing psychological trauma injury (see the Legal Requirements Page within Helping your organisation section)

Our services include: 

	Risk Assessment
	Critical Incident Response
	Trauma Awareness Training
	Trauma Assessment and Diagnosis
	Producing Trauma/Stress Policies
	Specialist Trauma Treatment
	Support Unit
	Production of Specialist Literature
	Health "Safety training", Trauma/Stress
	Psychological Risk Assessment

For more detailed information on how the Red Poppy Company can support staff in the NHS go to the Our Services Page