In response to the figures published by the Royal College of Nursing about violence against Emergency Department staff, here is our statement:
Professor Steve Hams, Bristol NHS Group, Chief Nursing and Improvement Officer, said: "We are absolutely clear — violence, aggression or abuse towards our staff, patients or visitors will never be tolerated. Over the past 18 months we’ve stepped up our work to make it easier for staff to report incidents and to be confident that we will act on them.
"We have a large Emergency Department that has seen rising attendances, and our teams come to work to care for people, often in difficult and pressured circumstances. They deserve to be able to do their jobs without fear or interference, and we will continue to take a firm and proactive approach to protect them."