It’s no secret that working in the NHS, especially in busy emergency departments, can be tough.
But recent figures reveal just how bad the situation has become—NHS staff are now facing “utterly abhorrent” levels of violence, with attacks happening roughly every two hours.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has sounded the alarm, highlighting the rising physical and emotional toll this is taking on healthcare workers.
Rising Violence Hits All Walks of Life, Including Middle-Class Patients
The RCN points out that the violence isn’t limited to a particular group—middle-class patients and their families are also reacting angrily to long wait times and overcrowded corridors.
Staff have reported being punched, spat at, and even threatened with guns.
Many nurses have been so traumatised that they’ve had to take time off, with some unable to return to their jobs.
Alarming Statistics Reveal the Scale of the Problem
A Freedom of Information request to 89 hospital trusts found 4,054 incidents of physical violence against A&E staff in England just last year — nearly double the 2,093 cases reported in 2019.
That means on average, 11 emergency department workers are attacked daily.
The true numbers could be even higher since not all trusts responded, and figures only cover the largest A&E departments.
Alongside this, the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E has skyrocketed, increasing 20-fold between 2019 and 2024.
This growing pressure cooker environment is fueling tensions on both sides.
Personal Stories Paint a Grim Picture of NHS Violence
Staff members share harrowing stories. Rachelle McCarthy, a senior nurse in the East Midlands, recalls being punched “square in the face” by a 6-foot-2 intoxicated man.
She notes that even usually calm patients are becoming irritable due to long waits.
In east London, one senior nurse describes her hospital as a “tinder box” for violence—witnessing colleagues being punched, kicked, and threatened with acid attacks or guns.
The constant stress even led her to leave nursing temporarily for a research role.
Similar accounts come from the South West, where nurses have been pinned against walls or punched repeatedly.
One senior A&E sister, Sarah Tappy, was knocked unconscious during an assault and now struggles with anxiety and PTSD, saying, “None of us feel safe.”
Alarming Increases in Violence at Hospitals Across the Country
The rise in attacks is stark in many places. Maidstone Hospital in Kent saw incidents soar by over 500%, from 13 in 2019 to 89 in 2024.
Manchester Royal Infirmary’s attacks doubled, rising from 39 to 79.
Government Promises Action but Nurses Demand More
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has vowed to “keep NHS staff safe” by making hospital-level violence reporting mandatory.
He stressed that protecting staff is “not an optional extra.” However, the RCN insists that simply recording these incidents isn’t enough.
Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN general secretary, says this violence is the result of systemic failures, with staff feeling underpaid, undervalued, and increasingly unsafe. “You can’t fix the Health Service if vital staff are too scared to go into work,” she warns.
Unless the Government tackles long waits, corridor care, and understaffing, more nurses will be hurt—and NHS reforms could fail.
NHS Leaders Condemn Violence and Call for Urgent Change
Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, calls the figures “absolutely shocking,” while Rebecca Smith from NHS Employers declares, “No one should have to face violence at work—it is totally unacceptable.”
Echoing this, Wes Streeting says, “I am appalled.
Nurses dedicate their lives to helping others and deserve to go about their jobs free from violence. Anyone who violates this core principle will feel the full force of the law.”