Health Education England, NHS England and NHS Improvement have published the NHS People Plan for 2020/21 which highlights the actions they will take to ensure that “discrimination, violence and bullying have no place” within the healthcare system. 

We are the NHS: The People Plan for 2020/21 emphasises that healthcare leaders have a statutory duty of care to prevent and control violence in the workplace so that employees never feel fearful or apprehensive about coming to work.

From this, NHS England and NHS Improvement have developed a joint agreement on offences against emergency workers with the government to ensure action in response to violence against staff. 

An NHS violence reduction standard is also being launched by December 2020 to establish a systematic approach to protecting staff.

NHS England: We are the NHS: People Plan for 2020/21 – action for us all

HEE: Health Education England sets out work to expand and develop the NHS workforce