NHS joins forces with
designers to tackle violence and aggression in A and E departments
Designers are to
rethink the design of hospital Accident and Emergency departments
in a bid to develop innovative new ways to reduce violence and
aggression towards NHS staff, which is estimated to cost at least
£69 million a year in staff absence, loss of productivity and
additional security.
The year-long project, ‘Reducing violence and aggression in A and
E by design’ is being run by the Design Council, and has been
commissioned by the Department of Health.
The project will involve designers, architects, healthcare
experts, patients and frontline NHS staff working together to
develop and trial potential solutions. The Design Council today
launched a national search for a design team or teams to work with
A and E staff and patients at three NHS Hospital Trusts – Guys and
St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS
Foundation Trust and Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust.
The winning design team or teams will develop a variety of
innovative solutions to give patients, visitors and staff a better
and safer experience in A and E.
The solutions will include:
Changes to interior design, such as redesigning layout and use
of space, or introducing new products and furniture.Improvements
to information given to patients and their families.Redesigned
clinical and non-clinical services and systems.
An NHS staff survey from the Care Quality Commission in 2009
revealed that 11 per cent of staff experienced physical violence
from patients or their families in the previous year. Figures from
the NHS Security Management Service also show that in 2009/10
there were over 150 reported physical assaults per day on
healthcare staff a total of 56,718 physical assaults in England.
The problem is particularly difficult to handle in the complex,
high pressure environment of A and E.
Commenting on the project, Sir David Nicholson, Chief Executive
of the NHS said:
"NHS staff save lives every day and are committed to
providing the best possible service to patients. It is completely
unacceptable for them to be assaulted or work in fear of being
physically or verbally abused.
“There is a substantial financial and human cost to violence
against staff and I look forward to seeing the results of this
project which will help A and E departments become calmer, safer
and more productive environments.
“Anything which can help to diffuse difficult situations,
demand mutual respect or reduce the pressure on busy staff is a
welcome addition towards building a modern NHS, centred around
high quality patient care.”
Lord Bichard, Chairman of the Design Council said:
“Design is now recognised by the Department of Health as having
the potential to develop new solutions to difficult problems
within the National Health Service. This is a great opportunity
for designers to really make a difference to staff and patients
and, hopefully, save money.”
‘Reducing violence and aggression in A and E by design’ follows
the success of similar interventions by the Design Council and the
NHS to improve patient privacy and dignity and reduce MRSA and
C. difficile.
Professor Matthew Cooke, National Clinical Director for Urgent
and Emergency Care at the Department of Health said:
"As an A and E consultant I have witnessed the effect of
violence on colleagues. Verbal abuse is a daily occurrence and
unfortunately physical violence against staff is not rare. This
violence also increases the anxiety of other patients and their
families in the emergency department at a time when they need a
calm atmosphere to aid their recovery from their illness.
“Better design can help reduce violence and reduce its
adverse effects. I look forward to seeing the results of this
project that will not only make work safer for my colleagues but
also enable us to provide better care for our patients."
Teams will be invited to submit a proposal on how they would
approach the challenge, with solutions which will offer good value
for money, and could significantly reduce the financial and human
cost of violence against staff.
Designers have already proved that re-designing aspects of A and
E departments can reduce violence and aggression against staff.
This brings a variety of benefits, including:
increase of staff morale/satisfaction and confidence;reduction
of litigation costs and a reduction of security and insurance
costs;reduction in staff absence; increase in productivity and
quality of care;calmer environment; improved ‘patient
experience’;cultural change among staff and patients which
encourages mutual respect; andimproved efficiency.
Whilst these have been specific to the hospitals in which they
have been trialled, the innovations emerging from this latest
project are intended to be universally applicable, with the
ambition of being rolled out across England’s hospitals.
The closing date for entries is the 4 April with shortlisted
entries to be announced on the 18 April 2011. The winning designs
will be showcased in October 2011.
Notes to Editors
1. The estimated £69 million figure to reduce violence and
aggression towards NHS staff is from: A Safer Place to Work:
Protecting NHS Hospital and Ambulance Staff from Violence and
Aggression, published by the National Audit Office, March 2003 2.
The three hospital Trusts taking part in the programme are: Guys
and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Chesterfield Royal Hospital
NHS Foundation Trust and Southampton University Hospitals NHS
Trust. 3. To help in the development process, the Design Council
has recruited an Advisory Board of highly respected designers,
clinicians, NHS managers, healthcare experts, staff and patients’
organisations to advise the winning teams during the design and
development phase. 4. The Design Council places design at the
heart of growth and renewal in Britain. As one of the world’s
leading design institutions, The Design Council is a unified voice
for a broad spectrum of design, architecture and public space,
placing good design at the heart of social and economic renewal.
We demonstrate how design can help build a stronger economy and
improve everyday life through practical projects with industry,
public services and education. 5. To see the design briefs please
go to www.designcouncil.org.uk/AandE 6. You can find out more
information and statistics on violence against NHS staff at
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/SecurityManagement/2286.aspx 7. For
further information, please contact:The Department of Health press
office on 020 7210 5221Saskia Sissons, Design Council: 0207 420
5248 / saskia.sissons@designcouncil.org.ukNigel Campbell, Design
Council: 0207 420 5282 / nigel.campbell@designcouncil.org.uk
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk