MYTT vow to reduce violent and aggressive behaviour towards its staff

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust has launched a powerful new campaign to raise awareness of violence and aggressive behaviour towards its staff.

The campaign message, ‘We care for you, please care for us’, is clear: violence and abuse have no place in our hospitals or community settings where we provide care.

Through the campaign, Everyone deserves to feel safe at work, the Trust is calling on the public to stand with NHS workers and help strengthen the culture of respect, safety, and compassion.

An internal survey* revealed that 74% of staff have experienced violence or aggression from patients or their visitors - one in three staff said they’ve considered leaving their jobs as a result.

This campaign is part of a wider effort to protect and support the wellbeing of staff across the Trust’s three hospitals and in the community - ensuring that every setting which care is given is a place of healing - not harm.

The campaign is part of a violence and aggression promise, detailing steps that will be taken to support staff. This includes making it easy for staff to report incidents; providing training to help them stay safe and calm when faced with aggressive behaviour; taking action to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future; and making sure that staff have the support they need to recover and continue providing safe, compassionate care.

“At Mid Yorkshire, everyone - staff, patients, visitors, and volunteers - should feel safe and respected,” said Brent Kilmurray, Chief Executive of the Trust.

“This campaign is about shining a light on the real impact violence and aggression has on our staff. Most people treat our teams with respect, but too many still don’t and that needs to change.

“Whether in hospital or in the community, receiving care can be stressful. Pain, worry, and delays can make it harder for everyone. That’s why we’re working to protect our staff and create safe spaces for everyone – because no one should be hurt or shouted at while trying to care for others.”

*Internal 'Creating a safer workplace' survey completed by 560 members of staff (Dec 2024 – Mar 2025)