Call for more protection against assault for health workers

MORE should be done to protect health workers as they face a heightened risk of assault over the Christmas period, nurse chiefs have said.

The Royal College of Nursing in Edinburgh has urged NHS Lothian to make staff safety a priority.

Alcohol-fuelled aggression, particularly in accident and emergency wards at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and St John's Hospital in Livingston, is known to rise at this time of year.

RCN associate director Norman Provan said: "If staff become stressed and overstretched, it can impact on patient care.

"This is particularly pertinent for staff working in A&Es in the run-up to Christmas who suffer from even higher levels of stress than normal.

"The NHS in Scotland has been aware of the high levels of sickness it suffers from for some considerable time, but we now need a concerted and co-ordinated push across the country to put in place beneficial measures that will improve staff wellbeing.

"Concrete measures such as fully resourced occupational health teams that operate to national standards and provide early support for staff. This means that staff spend less time off sick which is better for them, for patients and for the NHS."