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Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has agreed to sign a new health worker safety charter, which promises to protect staff from violence, biological hazards and improve their mental health.
On World Patient Safety Day last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a new letter to protect healthcare workers around the world and urged governments to commit to it.
“We must ensure that in these difficult times we protect our care workers and front-line personnel.”
Matt hancock
It was created in light of the theme of this year’s annual awareness day, which was “Healthcare worker safety: a priority for patient safety”.
By supporting the letter, leaders promise to take five actions to protect their health and care workforce.
These include measures to protect health workers from violence in the workplace; to improve your mental health; and protect them from physical and biological hazards.
The letter also calls on governments to establish “synergies” between health worker safety and patient safety policies and strategies, including integrating incident reporting systems for both.
In the House of Commons Monday, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt asked Hancock if he would “commit the government to sign this letter so that as we enter a second wave, all of our brave front-line workers know that this government and this house is in the middle of the square behind them ”.
Releasing the letter, the WHO said the coronavirus pandemic had highlighted the extent to which protecting healthcare workers was key to ensuring a functioning healthcare system and society.
Covid-19 had not only exposed healthcare professionals to physical and psychological harm, but there had also been an increase in reports of abuse and discrimination against those on the front lines, the WHO added.
In March, reports emerged of nurses being verbally and physically abused by the public in the UK, seeing staff spit on and labeled as “disease spreaders”.
In response to Mr. Hunt’s call, Mr. Hancock compromised the government with the letter. “Yes, I will gladly adhere to the proposals made by my honorable friend,” he said.
“We must ensure that in these difficult times we protect our care workers and front-line personnel, even if I may say so, test center personnel, and ensure that we once again reiterate our commitment to patient safety.”
