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Friday 21 November 2003
UNISON calls for action plan following assault on nurse in Perth
Scotland's largest health care Union, UNISON have
today called on the Scottish Executive to implement its six point
action plan following the serious assault on a nurse in Perth Royal
Infirmary.
Speaking today, Jim Devine, UNISON's Scottish
Organiser (Health) said,
"In the past year two nurses were stabbed
in an Ayr Hospital, one nurse was head-butted in an Argyll and Clyde
Hospital, another was sexually assaulted in a Glasgow Hospital and
one other was threatened with a gun in Fife Hospital. Last night
another very serious incident occurred in Perth.
"UNISON understands that a knife was used
and only the location of the incident prevented a much more tragic
outcome. UNISON are today calling on the Scottish Executive to implement
their 6 point action plan:
- The Scottish Health Minister and NHS trade unions jointly issue
a Staff Charter, reminding the public that it is not part of an
NHS worker's job to be physically or verbally abused at work.
- The standardisation throughout Scotland of the definition, recording
and follow up of violent and potentially violent incidents, including
verbal abuse, for all NHS staff.
- An agreed training course on the management of violent or potentially
violent incidents for all NHS staff.
- The introduction of a ‘yellow and red card' warning system to
members of the public who constantly abuse NHS staff. These warnings
could lead to the banning of individuals from NHS premises if
they persistently physically or verbally abuse staff.
- Relatives who physically abuse NHS staff must be automatically
charged and prosecuted by the Procurator Fiscal.
- Every NHS worker in Scotland has a duty of care to her/himself
and to her/his colleagues, to use the reporting system for every
incident, and accept and expect that zero tolerance is not just
the preferred but the only option.
"We are also calling on the Scottish Executive
to carry out an immediate risk assessment of every hospital in Scotland
as a matter of urgency. This nurse is not just a member of UNISON
but is also an activist in our organisation and we are determined
to ensure that physical and verbal abuse is not part of any health
service workers job", continued Jim Devine.
For Further Information Please Contact:
Jim Devine, Scottish Organiser 0845 355 0845(w)
07876 441239(m)
ENDS
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