"Shameful" new figures show one member of staff assaulted a week at Vale of Leven Hospital

dailyrecord.co.uk:

One member of staff is the victim of violence or aggression at the Vale of Leven Hospital every week.New figures branded “shameful” by one campaigner show that 54 incidents were recorded in the 12 months between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023, with a trade union official warning that the number of staff facing attacks is likely to be significantly higher in reality.The data, published following a Freedom of Information request to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) by the Lennox Herald, revealed 47 incidents where a patient assaulted a staff member, four threats of physical violence made towards staff and three instances of verbal abuse.Campaigners from Hospitalwatch have said they will raise the worrying figures with NHSGGC chiefs and push for more to be done to protect staff from violence and threats.MSP Jackie Baillie has labelled the statistics “appalling” while the area’s top cop Ryan McMurdo said assaults on NHS staff were “completely unacceptable”.Jim Moohan of the Hospitalwatch campaign group warned that assaults will prevent people from getting the care they need.He said: “It’s absolutely shameful and totally unacceptable that individuals who go to receive care at a hospital then turn to aggression.“Those individuals and their families and friends will visit that hospital one day for care and treatment.“They should reflect on what they have done and the harm it causes both physically and mentally to staff.“Staff are under enough pressure to look after patients.“This creates a situation where there is an increase in staff absences because of these individuals.“These violent individuals are never refused medical treatment.“We fought hard to have 24/7 care on offer at the Vale of Leven Hospital.“For that to be