NHS York and Scarborough monitoring rate of violence at hospitals

​Last year, North Yorkshire Police (NYP) recorded 93 crimes at or around Scarborough General Hospital, according to its data.

​Between January 2025 and January 2026, 78 per cent of the incidents recorded were marked as violence and sexual offences.

​North Yorkshire Police also recorded 175 crimes at or around York Hospital over the same period, of which around 48 per cent were violence and sexual offences.

​The York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust condemned “any form of violence or abuse” and said it actively encouraged staff to report “all incidents so they can be investigated, and the appropriate action taken”.

​It noted that “encouragingly, we are currently on track to record our lowest yearly incident figures in the past five years, reflecting our sustained focus on prevention and support, while ensuring our teams can provide care in a safe environment”.

​According to official police definitions, violence against the person includes a range of offences from “minor offences such as harassment and common assault, to serious offences such as murder, actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm”.

​Sexual offences include “a broad category of sexual offences, including indecent assault and unlawful (under age) sexual intercourse,” the police website states.

​The 2024 NHS Staff Survey found that 14.3 per cent of NHS staff who completed the survey had experienced at least one incident of physical violence from patients, service users, relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months. This was a 0.5 per cent increase from the 2023 results.

​A spokesperson for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our staff have the right to come to work and care for patients without fear of verbal, physical or sexual assault, and we take any form of violence or abuse towards our staff extremely seriously. We do not expect staff, patients, or visitors to accept threatening behaviour or discriminatory language, and where appropriate incidents are reported to the police.

​“We actively encourage staff to report all incidents so they can be investigated, and the appropriate action taken. We have clear policies in place, carry out risk assessments where concerns are identified, and provide support to any colleague affected.

​“A range of resources is also available to staff as part of our commitment to reducing incidents, including enhanced training and preventative measures.”

​The NHS Staff Survey also found that 25 per cent of NHS staff who completed the survey experienced at least one incident of harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months from patients/service users, their relatives, or other members of the public.

​The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, has previously said it has lobbied for increasing the maximum penalty for common assault against emergency workers, and has worked in partnership through the social partnership forum to support the development of a strategy.

​The spokesperson for the York and Scarborough NHS Trust said: “We continue to monitor incidents closely across our sites and take further steps where needed to keep everyone safe.

​“Encouragingly, we are currently on track to record our lowest yearly incident figures in the past five years, reflecting our sustained focus on prevention and support, while ensuring our teams can provide care in a safe environment.”