Respect call for hospital staff over Christmas

PARTY goers and revellers have been urged to treat staff at West Suffolk Hospital with dignity and respect this Christmas - and warned that violent or aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated.

PARTY goers and revellers have been urged to treat staff at West Suffolk Hospital with dignity and respect this Christmas - and warned that violent or aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated.

The trust has issued the plea in the run up to the festive season, which traditionally sees an increase in the number of people visiting the hospital under the influence of alcohol. Under the hospital's zero tolerance policy, action will be taken against anyone who abuses or assaults members of staff.

A number of additional security measures are also in place at the site, with panic alarms located in sensitive areas including A&E, the central delivery suite and the x-ray department. Police Community Support Officer Liz Lake, who is based at the hospital, regularly patrols the site and buildings, while CCTV systems are also in place.

Jan Bloomfield, executive director of workforce and communications at the trust, said: “It's important to remember that while many of us are having fun with family and friends over the Christmas period, not everyone is on holiday. As such, I would urge everyone using the hospital to treat our staff with the respect and gratitude that they deserve.

“The festive period is one of the busiest of the year for our dedicated A&E staff, who can often find themselves subjected to violence and abuse from the very people they are trying to help.

“We take the safety of our staff extremely seriously and will not tolerate aggression against them. Should such incidents occur, we will take action against the offenders and prosecute through the courts if necessary.”