Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative). It was answered on Tuesday, 7 June 2005.

NHS: Attacks on Staff

Question: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. It is very important that National Health Service staff should not feel threatened. What has been the increase in prosecutions? In the past, the Royal College of Nursing has reported 116,000 violent incidents, of which less than 44 per cent were in mental hospitals. Although we expect a slightly higher incidence there, the majority did not occur there. Of that total, only 2 per cent of cases were prosecuted. Eighty per cent of cases were not followed up at all and only 2 per cent were prosecuted. Can the Minister explain more about the new body to which he has just referred; that is, the security management service? According to nurses, it is part of the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service. Is that a National Health Service body or is it a Home Office body?

Answer: My Lords, I shall be delighted to tell the House about the national Counter Fraud and Security Management Service. It is one of the most successful bodies set up by the Government to counter fraud and better to protect NHS staff. I am grateful to the noble Baroness for giving me the opportunity to do a little commercial for the body. As we have discussed, it is a National Health Service body, and it has set up its own legal protection unit, which undertakes prosecutions. It made its first prosecution in September 2004. I can give the House a number of examples. It initiated the first anti-social behaviour order against a person who assaulted NHS staff; another person who assaulted staff received a three-year custodial sentence; and a father and son who attacked NHS staff in Newcastle were each sentenced to nine months imprisonment. That shows the kind of action the service is taking. We shall be publishing the 2004–05 prosecution numbers in the not too distant future.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 672 c774
Session: 2005-06
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Crimes of violence NHS Prosecutions Counter Fraud and Security Management Service