This is an ‘in action’ shot of us with staff from the Horton General Hospital in Oxfordshire, who recently called on us to carry out some disengagement/breakaway training with various members of the team.
Not only were the staff great to work with, they came away feeling that the training was suited to their jobs and the risks that are often associated with their work these days.
Why do NHS staff need disengagement/breakaway training?
NHS work isn’t what it used to be.
It’s widely reported that staff UK-wide are being put under increasing pressure as they go about their daily duties. Understaffing and delays are just two of the challenges most NHS staff face. However, they’re also facing a new type of challenge – being attacked by patients in the workplace.
According to figures obtained by the Health Service Journal on behalf of the union, Unison, under the Freedom of Information Act, nurses, paramedics and mental health staff are most at risk of being physically assaulted.
Figures supplied by hospital trusts show that there were 56,435 recorded physical assaults on staff in 2016-17, which is a 9.7% rise on the previous year’s figures. What’s more, in a statement recently released by Unison, it was reported that mental health services staff are 7.5X more likely to be assaulted.
It would appear the NHS is facing a new type of crisis and unfortunately, it’s one that’s showing no sign of letting up right now. We know because we’ve been working with NHS staff, like those pictured above, for more than 20 years, providing them with conflict management and breakaway training.
What can be done to prevent violence?
While it’s not possible to prevent physical attacks from taking place in your workplace (if only it were possible!) there are actions you can take to make sure you know how best to respond should anything ever happen.
For instance, do you know how to spot the signs of trouble before it breaks out? Do you know how to grab somebody’s wrists in the correct way or defend yourself from being punched or slapped?
We cover all of these things, and more, in our breakaway training sessions, which are designed to safeguard workers who are at risk of being physically assaulted at work. This type of training is also ideal for lone workers too.
Hopefully, you may never have to implement what you’ve learnt from us, but there’s no guaranteeing what’s going to happen, so surely, you’d rather know how to defend yourself and others should violence ever break out? And once you’ve got these vital skills under your belt, you’ve got them for life, they may also save a life too….
For more information about our tailored NHS courses visit https://www.good-sense.co.uk//sectors/nhs/. Alternatively, if you would like to discuss your training requirements with us, please contact us on darren@good-sense.co.ukor 0845 576 0035.
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