Healthcare staff have volunteered to take part in short film to highlight the ongoing issue of violence towards NHS employees.
Our Trust 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 short video, the latest in a series from the Trust, illustrates how unacceptable violence is by contrasting a moment of unwarranted aggression in an everyday environment, in this case a canteen, with a hospital scenario.
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.
You wouldn’t do this in a café
Violence on staff – catering scene
Title card: This short film features staff from North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, all of whom have personally experienced or witnessed violence in the work place.
Credits: Catering staff/staff nurse – Marlene Sweeney
Irate customer/thankful patient – David Brereton
[Video shows a customer walk up to a counter.]
Irate Customer: Parmo and chips flower.
Catering Staff: I’m sorry sir, we haven’t got any left.
Irate customer: What?
[Customer grabs catering staff member.]
Title card: You wouldn’t do this in a café. So don’t do it in our hospital.
[Video shows a patient in a hospital bed. A nurse brings him a tray of food.]
Staff Nurse: Hello David, I’ve brought you something to eat.
Thankful patient: Oh, thanks flower.
Staff Nurse: You’re welcome.
Title card: We have zero tolerance for abuse or violence towards our staff.
“This has to stop”
David, who has been the victim of several assaults while working in accident and emergency, said: “It’s something that myself and my colleagues face every day of our working lives.
“We are here to look after our patients but we can only do this if we feel safe enough to do it. We don’t come to work to be physically or verbally abused.
“This has to stop.”
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.”
