The College of Podiatry (CoP) welcomes Matt Hancock’s pledge to protect NHS staff from violence

The CoP welcomes Matt Hancock’s comments in a letter to NHS staff about the unacceptable levels of violence against clinical staff.

The College raised this issue at the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) in 2018 and called for greater action against those who attack all NHS staff, including our members. We therefore welcome the joint agreement between the NHS, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Speaking about the agreement Steve Jamieson, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the College said: ‘Our members in the NHS work to protect the public and should expect that their workplaces are safe from violence. With over 15% of NHS staff reporting that they had been subject to violence, something had to be done. I am pleased to see recognition from the Secretary of State on a matter that we have been pressing for years. This is a good step forward and we look forward to seeing a rise in the number of prosecutions’.

The CoP will continue to stand up for its members and do all it can to highlight this issue and make the workplaces its members work in safe.