MPs force NHS violence law U-turn

CCTV footage of NHS security staff controlling a member of the public

The Ministry of Justice has reversed a decision to exclude Wales from a new law offering hospital workers extra legal protection against violence.

Welsh Assembly Government ministers had initially said there was no need for the law in Wales.

But this prompted an outcry from Labour MPs and crossbench peer Baroness Finlay of Llandaff.

The assembly government will have a say in how the new law works in Welsh hospitals.

The justice ministry will amend its own bill during its parliamentary passage.

More than 20 NHS staff in Wales complain of physical or mental abuse in a typical day.

There is also a wealth of anecdotal evidence from nurses, doctors and GPs of physical violence, threats and abuse from patients.

The new offence will be of causing a disturbance or nuisance on NHS premises, and aims to help hospitals protect their staff.

The assembly government had told the Ministry of Justice it would set up its own policies to protect staff, although it does not have the power to change criminal law.

If we don't look after our health care workers we almost destroy the fabric of our society Baroness Illora Finlay

At the time, Health Minister Edwina Hart said she wanted "practical solutions" to the problem of violence and abuse "that will be acceptable to staff and protect staff".

Details of what these new policies could have been were in an interim report by a Welsh taskforce on the issue which recommended more police patrols, CCTV cameras in hospitals and an all-Wales chair to champion the issue.

The taskforce, which included health workers, also proposed free access to solicitors so that victims can also sue their attackers for compensation in the civil courts.

MPs and peers campaigning for the change were delighted with the u-turn.

Welsh peer Baroness Illora Finlay said she hoped the law would help strengthen all the preventative measures that were planned for Wales.

She added that the assembly government not only had extra powers but had control of when to implement them.

'Concerned'

"There has been a great deal of work done by the assembly taskforce and they have produced an excellent report. I hope all their recommendations will be implemented in full and will bring down violence against health care workers," she said.

"If we don't look after our health care workers we almost destroy the fabric of our society.

"All of the health care workers I have spoken to are really concerned that there is a tendency to be aggressive verbally, to be unpleasant, to cause a nuisance and to act irresponsibly on health care premises and towards health care workers.

"That needs to stop."

Richard Jones Interim Director of Royal College of Nursing Wales said it welcomed the announcement because protection offered to members in England would be extended to those in Wales.

He added that in many ways nurses and other healthcare workers in Wales would be better protected as they will be covered both by the new law and the solutions proposed by the Welsh taskforce.

An assembly government spokesperson said: "The minister met recently with Baroness Finlay to discuss this issue.

"A Government amendment will be put down, which would extend these powers to Wales."

Conservative health spokesman Jonathan Morgan said he found it "astonishing" that the assembly government did not want to apply these measures in Wales.

"Baroness Finlay deserves much of the credit for forcing the UK Government to take this decision."