More than half of NHS workers say abuse from patients has increased since 2021

Front line staff feel public support has declined since start of pandemic

Two-thirds of workers say ‘it feels like the public has forgotten NHS staff’ (Getty Images)

Verbal and physical abuse of NHS staff is on the rise, with almost half of staff reporting that they have been on the receiving end of abuse from patients in the last year.

A survey of 1,016 staff members, commissioned by NHS Charities Together, found that 54 per cent believe that levels of abuse have increased from January 2021 to January 2022.

More than two-thirds (67 per cent) said “it feels like the public has forgotten NHS staff” and 62 per cent said public support has declined.

While Plan B restrictions in England were lifted last week – the government is no longer asking people to work from home or mandating the use of face coverings in most public places – 69 per cent of NHS staff feel they have “never been under more strain”.

Ben Glover, a paramedic who began working for the NHS just before the pandemic, says public support is “still out there” but has noticeably declined.

“When the public first got behind us it was amazing – every Thursday you could hear pots and pans, clapping, cheering. We were noticing people buying us coffees, even letting us go first in queues. It was emotionally fulfilling,” Glover said.

“While support is still out there, we’re seeing more and more patients being verbally and even physically aggressive. I’ve been bitten, punched, hit, and it has really picked up recently. We shouldn’t have to deal with it as it can have a real morale hit, and that’s the last thing we need.”

Nearly half of those surveyed (46 per cent) said the increased workload caused by the Omicron variant and booster programme means they can’t do their job to the best of their ability, and 31 per cent said longer than usual working hours have left them physically exhausted.

This is having a negative impact on workers’ mental health, with two thirds of staff members reporting that they have experienced depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder since the start of the pandemic.

Ellie Orton OBE, chief executive of NHS Charities Together, commented: “Covid-19 cases are still high across the UK, and we want to shine a light on the immense pressures the NHS continues to be under.

“Staff are working long and intense hours to protect and care for us – often becoming utterly burnt out in the process – and we know how much it means to them to have the public’s support.”

There were 112,458 new cases of Covid-19 recorded across the UK on 1 February.

NHS Charities Together is calling on the public to show support for NHS staff by displaying a blue heart in their windows.

Orton added: “While many NHS staff may feel like support has waned, our research shows people across the nations are still behind them, so we’re encouraging everyone to please show NHS staff some love and share the blue heart – and fundraise or donate to vital mental health and wellbeing projects you can.”