Brighton health workers suffer more attacks (From The Argus)

Brighton health workers suffer more attacks

12:10pm Tuesday 30th March 2010 in

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Workers at a health trust are suffering more attacks from patients and relatives than those in similar organisations around the country.

Seven per cent of staff at South Downs Health NHS Trust said they had experienced physical violence compared to a 3% national average.

The figure was revealed in a survey of hundreds of workers at the trust, which provides community and rehabilitation services to people in the Brighton and Hove area.

The survey, carried out by the Care Quality Commission, also revealed that 13% of staff had suffered a work-related injury, 3% higher than the average.

More than a quarter, 27%, said they had witnessed potentially harmful errors, near misses or incidents in the last month.

The average figure for similar trusts is 22%.

However 92% of staff who responded to the survey said they felt their job made a difference to patients and 86% felt they got enough job training and development.

Director of human resources Janet Miller said: “The information from this survey will help us rectify areas of concern for our staff, including levels of work-related stress and injury and physical violence from patients or relatives."