Violence in Hospitals

More than 4,500 times a year, hospital staff become victims of physical and verbal violence. In more than 200 cases, the violence is so severe that the perpetrator gets a permanent ban for accessing the hospital. Minister Edith Schippers (Health) thinks these incidents are totally unacceptable. On a request of the AD, a third of all hospitals gave access to data about intimidation against their staff. Extrapolated to all 93 Dutch hospitals, the figures come down to 4,500 times a year, which means twelve times a day. 1,200 cases deal with physical violence, such as hitting, kicking and fighting. The other cases are about threats, verbal abuse and sometimes stalking. The Dutch Association of Hospitals (NVZ) also says that the violence is 'unacceptable'. According to the NVZ, they have already put 10 years of effort to reduce the number of incidents. With extra security and anti-aggression training of the staff, hospitals try to turn the tide. They also try to prevent aggression by giving more clear and better information about waiting times and treatments.