NHS Wales Anti Violence Collaborative

Background

It is recognised that NHS staff (Hospital, Ambulance, Community and Primary Care) are among those most likely to face violence and abuse during the course of their employment and there is a strong public interest in prosecuting those who verbally and physically assault NHS staff deliberately.

With this in mind an agreement entitled 'Obligatory responses to violence in healthcare' between NHS Wales, the Police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), has been established which followed a similar agreement made between the respective parties in England.

As part of this process, the NHS Wales Anti Violence Collaborative (AVC) has been established which has representation from NHS Wales, the Police, CPS, Welsh Government and Unions

NHS Wales Anti Violence Collaborative (AVC)

The AVC meets with all parties on a periodical basis to review the implementation and effectiveness of the updated agreement.

The Chair of the AVC is Jonathan Webb Head of Safety & Learning, NWSSP Legal and Risk Services.

The 'Obligatory responses to violence in healthcare' agreement

The 'Obligatory responses to violence in healthcare' agreement sets out the responsibilities of the partners when dealing with violent or aggressive incidents relating to NHS staff. Its focus is on those incidents that need to be addressed by the criminal justice system that includes;

Improving the reporting of violent incidents
Strengthen the investigation and prosecution process by improving the quality and timeliness of shared information
Improve victim and witness care and confidence
Raise the issues of violence and aggression against NHS staff as well as the action that will be taken by all parties.

Further Information

Information regarding the NHS Wales Anti Violence Collaborative can be found via our Communications Toolkit. This can be found in the menu on your left. The toolkit provides information regarding the AVC and contains materials to help you explain the NHS Wales Anti Violence Collaborative to your audiences.

Please address all correspondence to the Welsh Risk Pool team: antiviolence.collaborative@wales.nhs.uk