Short film highlights 'ongoing issue of violence' against NHS staff

Healthcare staff have volunteered to take part in short film to highlight the 'ongoing issue of violence' towards NHS employees.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust says it has a "zero tolerance approach to violence towards staff but sadly a small number of patients and relatives still behave aggressively to staff trying to help them".

The video contrasts aggression in an everyday environment with a hospital scenarios.

The new video follows two previous short films, one set in a hairdressers and another in a gym, which also featured staff who had experienced or witnessed violence.

The video features nurse David Brereton and laboratory assistant Marlene Sweeney, with David acting as a canteen customer who becomes aggressive with food server Marlene. After becoming violently aggressive, the scene freezes with the words: ‘You wouldn’t do this in a café…so don’t do it in our hospital’ appearing on screen.

The scene begins again, but now David is a grateful patient being brought a meal by Marlene, now a healthcare assistant.

David, who has been the victim of several assaults while working in accident and emergency, said:

Marlene commented: “I wanted to get involved in the campaign because there’s been a lot of incidents happening on the wards and around the hospital of staff being abused violently and verbally.

“I’ve not experienced violence but have had a lot of verbal aggression.

“We’re here to serve the public and we do a really good job. We’re not here to be verbally or physically abused.”