Violence and Aggression Training for NNUH staff

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust will be training 3,750 front line staff in Conflict Resolution by March 2008, with the first 1,250 staff to be trained this year.

Conflict Resolution is a training course recently introduced by the NHS Security Management Service which has been developed to assist NHS frontline staff and professionals to deal effectively with incidents of potential violence or aggression.

The training will enable staff to recognise the warning signs of a potentially violent situation and take steps to prevent it from escalating.

The course covers body language, verbal and non verbal communication, patterns of behaviour, warning and danger signs and many other issues in relation to this subject.

This training forms one of a range of actions being taken by the NHS Security Management Service to improve the protection from violence given to NHS staff and professionals. It also includes a National Physical Assault Reporting System which thoroughly investigates all incidents of assault on NHS staff, offers assistance and ensures they are kept infomed of the investigation at all times.

Harry Seddon, UNISON rep and Chair of the Joint Staff Consultative Committee say's “This additional funding will help the Trust to extend the good aggression training, including some 'hands on' training, that we already have in place here. UNISON has found that, far too often, people who assault staff do not end up being prosecuted; whether this new national system has any impact on this, and on the decisions of the Crown Prosecution service, remains to be seen.”

Media Contact: Hayley Gerrard on 01603 289821 or hayley.gerrard@nnuh.nhs.uk