Hospital chiefs condemn staff abuse after protests

NHS staff faced "hostility and abuse" while treating people who were injured in the disorder in Stoke-on-Trent, hospital bosses have said.

The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust said staff at the Royal Stoke University Hospital were abused by both patients and other members of the public on Saturday.

Chairman David Wakefield described the behaviour as “unacceptable” and said there would be zero tolerance towards people involved.

Ten people were arrested following the disturbance in Hanley and two have since been charged.

During a trust board meeting on Wednesday, Mr Wakefield said the scenes had affected "our localities, our organisation and our staff".

"It’s now clear that, regrettably, while helping patients, some of our staff faced a level of unacceptable behaviour, hostility and abuse from some members of the public, including those seeking treatment," he said.

"I want to make it very clear, on behalf of this board, that such behaviour is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in any way."

The meeting was told that an email had been sent out to staff setting out the trust's "zero-tolerance approach" and offering support to anyone affected.

Non-executive director Sunita Toor welcomed the support offered to staff, but suggested that zero tolerance often proved a challenge to organisations, especially understanding what it means.

Chief medical officer Matthew Lewis said he recognised the need for the approach but that it could be complicated due to some patients presenting with mental health issues that might influence their judgment.

Mr Wakefield called for a clearer definition of zero tolerance to be drawn up so it could be discussed at a future board meeting.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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