As many as one in seven NHS staff (14.38%) experienced physical violence from patients, their relatives or other members of the public in 2024, NHS data has shown.
According to the latest annual NHS staff survey, published by NHS England, attacks on staff have increased since 2023, when they were at 13.88%.
However, the numbers are still below the record levels seen between 2020 to 2022 during and following the pandemic, NHS England said.
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Staff experiencing discrimination at work reached its highest level in five years (9.25%), with more than half (54.09%) saying the discrimination they received from patients and the public was based on their ethnic background.
One in 12 (8.82%) NHS workers experienced unwanted sexual behaviour – including offensive comments, touching and assault.
The proportion of staff affected by this remained similar to the levels reported in 2023 (8.79%) when the question was first asked, NHS England said.
The latest Health Education England national education and training survey, which has also now been published, found that 13% of learners experienced or witnessed unwanted, harmful or inappropriate sexual behaviour by patients.
The NHS launched a national sexual misconduct policy framework last October. Every integrated care board and NHS trust in England has also signed up to the NHS sexual safety charter, which commits them to a zero-tolerance approach to letting unwanted behaviours go unaddressed within the workplace, NHS England said.
In all, nearly three-quarters of a million people (744,358) took part in the 2024 NHS staff survey – the highest ever level in staff in its 20-year history, and over 43,500 took part in the national education and training survey, the service added.
Among other findings, the survey found that the number of NHS workers satisfied with flexible working options is at its highest level in five years (57.65%). Those saying they achieved a good home and work life balance was also at its highest since the question was first asked in 2021 (56.61%).
Staff satisfaction with levels of pay had risen from 25.48% in 2022 to 32.05%, and satisfaction with line managers had also continued to rise, with seven in 10 workers (72.72%) saying they felt valued at work, NHS England said.
However, Royal College of Nursing (RCN), painted a very different picture in response, arguing the findings should “send shockwaves” through government. It said the results showed staff having to deal with a “tide of racism, abuse and bullying while an overstretched, under-resourced, underpaid workforce is causing many to work hours without pay and others to work while unwell”.
It highlighted that 35% of respondents said they had experienced bullying, harassment or abuse at work from patients, their relatives or other members of the public.
The results showed staff shortages continue to be a huge concern, the college emphasised. Only 31% of respondents said there were enough staff to enable them to do their job properly, and 45% said they felt unwell because of work-related stress. More than half (58%) came to work despite feeling not well enough to perform their duties, a 9 percentage point increase from 2020, the RCN argued.
Just 27% were satisfied with their level of pay, the RCN added. More than half (58%) said they worked unpaid overtime every week and nearly a third (29%) said they often think about leaving their current organisation.
Executive director of RCN England Patricia Marquis said: “It is disturbing and saddening to see the levels of bullying, abuse, and discrimination aimed at staff as they care for patients. This should send shockwaves through the NHS, government, and society. Racism must be unacceptable in our health care system, and employers and government must take a strong stance on stamping this out.”
Dr Navina Evans, chief workforce, training and education officer for NHS England, said: “It’s totally unacceptable that NHS staff are facing physical violence, sexual assault and discrimination from patients and the public while at work – and I’d urge anyone affected to report incidents to their employer and the police.
“We know that the most important way to stamp out incidents of unacceptable behaviour is to give people the confidence to report it, and it is important that the voice of every member of NHS staff is heard through these surveys and acted upon,” Dr Evans added.
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