Hospital partners with police to tackle abuse of staff
PA MediaA hospital has introduced a national campaign to tackle violence and abuse against its staff.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) has partnered with Thames Valley Police to bring a scheme known as Operation Cavell to the John Radcliffe Hospital.
The campaign will see the local NHS Trust, police force and the Crown Prosecution Service come together to "strengthen protections for NHS staff, improve conviction rates and support victims".
The trust said the co-ordinated approach was designed to send a clear message that violence and abuse against OUH staff was taken seriously, and should not be tolerated as "part of the job".
It said as a result of the collaboration, every incident of assault or hate crime against OUH staff would be reviewed by senior police officers, and dedicated investigators with an understanding of healthcare environments would review cases.
National data shows a rising trend for violence and abuse against healthcare workers, with one in seven reporting physical violence from patients, relatives or the public in 2024.
Incidents reported at OUH
OUH says the incidents reported by its own staff on the trust's reporting system cover verbal abuse, physical assault, and racial and sexual harassment, and include incidents involving patients, relatives and visitors.
OUH said the increase in incidents reported from 2021 reflected a "significant change" in reporting, as well as the incidents themselves.
The number of incidents recorded by the trust were:
- 2021: 1,171
- 2022: 1,389
- 2023: 1,967
- 2024: 2,088
- 2025: 2,403
- 2026 (1 January to 31 July): 1,549
The trust said over this period it had "actively encouraged" its staff to report every incident of abuse.
It added much of this had gone unrecorded in the past, and where an incident amounted to a criminal offence, the trust worked with the police through Operation Cavell.
Yvonne Christley, chief nursing officer at OUH, said: "Operation Cavell strengthens what happens after an incident.
"Colleagues who report will be supported through the process rather than left to manage it on their own, and Thames Valley Police will review every report.
"Support is there whether or not someone chooses to involve the police, but support is not the answer on its own.
"The measure of Operation Cavell will be fewer incidents, not better recovery from them."
She added: "Our staff should not have to be resilient about violence and abuse at work, and the responsibility sits with the people who choose to behave this way, not with the colleagues on the receiving end.
"I hope this gives people the confidence to come forward."
The campaign will run in support of OUH's No Excuses campaign, which emphasises the trust's stance on violence and aggressive behaviour towards its staff.
Det Ch Insp Stuart May, from Thames Valley Police, said: "We want to actively encourage OUH staff to report incidents and feel safe in the knowledge that we will take action.
He added the campaign would "underscore" the force's commitment to bringing offenders to justice and "remind the public of their obligations to our much-valued healthcare workers".
