625 assaults reported on staff at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds since 2019

More than 600 assaults on staff at a hospital trust have been reported in recent years and peaked during the pandemic.

A Freedom of Information request by SuffolkNews revealed there have been 625 attacks on staff at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds since 2019.

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) recorded 130 assaults in 2019, 143 in 2020, 122 in 2021, 99 in 2022, 83 in 2023 and 48 so far this year.

In recent months, the trust said it had implemented a new Unacceptable Behaviour Policy, which outlines its response to such incidents, improving the way in which they are reviewed and action is taken.

Caroline Hennessy, union UNISON’s Eastern head of health, said: “Staff should not go into West Suffolk Hospital fearing for their safety. Any assaults on NHS workers are unacceptable.

“But understaffing, overwork and overcrowding all contribute to an environment where violence can take place.

“It’s essential that there are enough staff on wards to keep everyone safe and that there are proper procedures in place to prevent violence.”

Jeremy Over, executive director of workforce and communications at WSFT, said any instance of abuse towards staff, physical or otherwise, was completely unacceptable.

“Our colleagues aim to provide high quality and safe care and treatment to our community and deserve to work in an environment of safety and respect,” he said.

“We have robust procedures to deal with individuals who are abusive towards our teams, and measures in place to support staff’s wellbeing for when any such incidents happen.”

The trust said it has increased conflict resolution training for staff to help ensure the de-escalation of aggressive or abusive behaviour before it occurs.

Meanwhile, WSFT’s restrictive physical intervention team has grown, so they can carry out additional departmental visits to support staff and increase their visibility to prevent unwanted aggressive behaviour.