Increase in aggression towards people who work in health care

People who work in the healthcare sector feel like there is an increase in aggression targetting them. In a poll conducted by NU'91, a organization representing healthcare professionals, an estimated 90 percent said that aggression in healthcare has been on the rise over the last five years.

That is roughly the same total which was reported a year ago. More than 90 percent also believe the aggression will continue in the years to come.

One in three healthcare employees said that they sometimes had to deal with aggression during 2023. One in five people has stated that they are the subject of aggressive behavior on a weekly basis.

It is mainly patients and their families who cross a boundary. They scream, swear, hit, kick and spit, and sometimes directly threaten healthcare employees. The victims attribute the aggression to psychiatric disorders in patients but also to disagreements over treatment plans.

NU'91 also asked roughly 900 participants whether they were confident that the situation would be adequately handled if they pressed charges or filed a complaint. Only about one in five healthcare workers were confidence about this. One in three were not, and almost half do not know.

The survey was conducted on behalf of broadcaster WNL.