Question reference: S6W-17780
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 10 May 2023
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 May 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will undertake a review of the effectiveness of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 in protecting NHS staff from physical and verbal assaults.
Answer
We have no plans to review the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005.
No-one should be the victim of abuse or violence while at work and assaults on NHS staff are completely unacceptable. The courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with those who attack emergency workers and we strongly encourage staff to report all instances of violent and aggressive behaviour through their local reporting systems. If it is a serious incident, then all efforts must be made to escalate to the Police as quickly as possible.
NHSScotland has joined the multi-agency Your Safety Matters (YSM) initiative, led by Police Scotland. YSM aims to minimise incidents of violence and aggression in workplaces, through campaigns, sharing resources and good practice.