Scotland Wales NI

National Audit of Violence

The Audit makes recommendations about how to reduce the causes of violence on units and wards in the following areas:

• Substance misuse - this was cited by the Audit as the number one trigger for violent or threatening behaviour. The Audit recommends that more must be done to support staff teams to address the problems caused by alcohol and illegal drugs.
• Staffing - The Audit found staffing issues to be the second most frequent trigger of violence. Many units are operating with substantial staff vacancies and are overly reliant on temporary and agency staff. Experienced staff are being drawn into more prestigious community posts and inpatient units are having difficulty creating cohesive and experienced teams. The Audit recommends that the status of inpatient nursing is raised to at least that of community nursing.
• Security - The design of many wards and units fail to meet basic safety standards.  For example, 35% of nursing staff feel that the alarm system where they work is unsatisfactory. The Audit recommends that greater efforts should be made to upgrade existing wards in ways that optimise safety.
• Service user concerns - Service users experience high levels of boredom and many wards and units are unable to offer a structured and therapeutic system of care. Overcrowding and service users with more than one condition also prevent the delivery of good services. The Audit calls for ways to be found to help staff to spend more time in face-to-face contact with service users.
• Training - Training to handle violent incidents must be more focussed on prevention rather than management.

Full details can be found at: http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases.cfm?cit_id=1995&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false