Rising Tide of Violence Against Frontline Workers

Recent figures released by NHS England reveal a disturbing reality: physical violence against healthcare workers continues to climb. According to the latest NHS staff survey, 1 in 7 NHS workers (14.38%) experienced physical violence from patients, their relatives, or the public in 2024, an increase from the previous year.

At BRS, we see the human cost of these statistics every day. We partner with organisations whose frontline staff, in healthcare, social care, housing, education and retail show up daily to support others, often under tremendous pressure. These are real people with families and lives outside work. It's both heartbreaking and infuriating that violence has become an expected part of their working reality.

"The escalating violence against frontline workers is more than distressing," admits Nick Attard, General Manager at BRS. "These are our neighbours, friends, and family members who chose careers helping others. We need to come together as a community to ensure they can do their jobs without fear. Their protection isn't just a workplace issue - it's about who we are as a society."

Not Just the NHS: A Widespread Crisis

While the NHS data paints a grim picture, it represents just the tip of the iceberg. Violence against frontline workers has seeped into multiple sectors:

The person scanning your groceries faces abuse daily retail staff encounter approximately 1,300 incidents of verbal and physical abuse every day, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Water company workers, simply doing maintenance or repairs, report being spat at and physically assaulted by people angry about pollution issues.

In housing and social care, where emotions often run high, workers increasingly walk into volatile situations without adequate protection.

In Wales, the trend is equally concerning. The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust reports more than 3,000 assaults against emergency workers in the year leading up to June 2024, a 9% increase from the previous year. Emergency departments throughout Wales saw a staggering 39% rise in workplace violence between 2017 and 2021.

Behind each of these statistics is a person who went to work expecting challenge but not violence.

Moving from Outrage to Action

There's no magic solution, but there are meaningful steps we can take together:

• Create reporting systems people actually use many incidents go unreported because staff don't believe anything will change

  
  

• Implement security measures that work in real-world situations, not just on paper
  

• Provide practical training that gives staff confidence to de-escalate tensions before they boil over

  
  

• Launch honest public conversations about the human impact of abuse on those who serve our communities

  
  

• Ensure genuine mental health support is available when incidents do occur

At BRS, we're in the trenches with organisations navigating these challenges. Our PMVA (Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression) training isn't just about techniques-it's about building confident teams who feel valued and protected.

We help create environments where safety isn't an afterthought but a foundation.

A Personal Note

I've sat with healthcare workers who've been punched while administering medicine. I've listened to housing officers describe being threatened in their cars after difficult tenant visits. What strikes me most isn't the violence itself, it's how many of them say, "I just accepted it as part of my job."

Violence should never be "just part of the job." As this issue finally gets the attention it deserves, let's make sure the conversation leads to real change, where the people who care for us when we're at our most vulnerable receive not just our thanks, but our protection and respect.

References:

NHS England, "Frontline NHS staff facing rise in physical violence", March 2025. https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/03/frontline-nhs-staff-facing-rise-in-physical-violence

British Retail Consortium, Crime Survey, 2023

The Times, "Water workers abused over sewage pollution," 2024

Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, "Christmas plea after rise in assaults", 2024

BMJ Open, "Workplace violence in emergency departments in Wales", 2023