A survey of more than 2,000 emergency department workers in the UK reveals widespread abuse and violence directed at staff members. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine found that 73% of respondents reported experiencing violence or aggression either daily or weekly. Additionally, 63% said they had faced discrimination including racism, sexism, and homophobia, while 96% reported experiencing some form of abuse from patients or members of the public.
Staff attributed much of the hostile behavior to operational pressures within emergency departments. Long waiting times, overcrowding, and staff shortages were identified as key factors contributing to increased incidents of violence and aggression. Workers described corridor care—the practice of treating patients in non-clinical spaces due to overcrowding—as a particular source of tension. Emergency department professionals indicated that these conditions have made hostility a routine aspect of their work environment.
The survey also assessed the mental health impact on staff. Only 4% of those surveyed reported always feeling safe at work. Meanwhile, 75% experienced short-term stress and anxiety, 40% reported burnout, and 28% experienced long-term stress or anxiety. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s president emphasized that staff often do not feel confident their employers will support them or that the judicial system will intervene on their behalf.
Broader data on violence against NHS staff shows an escalating trend. Records from 212 NHS trusts in England documented over 295,000 incidents of physical violence and aggression by patients against staff between 2022 and 2025. Violent incidents, ranging from threats to actual assaults, increased from 91,175 in 2022-23 to 104,079 in 2024-25, equating to approximately 285 reported cases daily in the most recent year.
Government officials stated that violence and abuse toward NHS staff is unacceptable and pledged to ensure workplace safety through new NHS staff standards requiring employers to take steps to prevent and reduce such incidents.
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