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Nurse’s stabbing at hospital leaves the profession in shock

Nursing profession and others express shock and state that violence against healthcare staff is unacceptable after a nurse in her fifties was stabbed at Royal Oldham Hospital. Health and Safety Executive figures show nurses and other healthcare professionals are much more likely than the general working population to face threats or assaults at work, and punishment of perpetrators is often inadequate.
A nurse at the Royal Oldham Hospital is in critical condition after being stabbed at the weekend

Nursing leaders say staff deserve to go to work without fear of being attacked as latest incident highlights dangers of violence for nurses in the workplace

A nurse at the Royal Oldham Hospital is in critical condition after being stabbed at the weekend
A nurse at the Royal Oldham Hospital is in critical condition after being stabbed at the weekend Picture: Alamy

The nursing profession has expressed its shock and sadness after a nurse was stabbed and left in a ‘critical condition’ at the Royal Oldham Hospital on Saturday night.

The nurse, a woman in her fifties, experienced serious injuries that are described as life-changing and remains in hospital for treatment.

A 37-year-old man from Oldham, named by police as Rumon Haque, has been charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article. He has been remanded in police custody and is set to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court tomorrow (Tuesday 14 January).

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust chief nursing officer Heather Caudle said the organisation was ‘incredibly shocked and saddened’ by the incident.

People endangering healthcare professionals must face full force of the law, says RCN's Nicola Ranger

‘Our focus is on supporting the colleague involved and their family. Our thoughts are also with colleagues and patients who were there at the time of the incident and for whom this has been distressing and frightening. We will continue to support Greater Manchester Police with their inquiries.’

RCN general secretary Nicola Ranger said: ‘This attack on a nurse is truly shocking and our thoughts are with the victim, her family and colleagues.

‘Nursing staff go to work to care for others and have every right to do so without the fear of violence.

‘All employers have a duty to keep their staff safe and authorities must ensure those endangering healthcare professionals face the full force of the law.’

England’s chief nurse tells nurses worried by incident to reach out for support if needed

England’s chief nursing officer Duncan Burton reiterated on X that violence against nurses was unacceptable.

‘All our staff deserve to come to work without the fear of being attacked,’ he wrote. ‘Any form of violence or aggression towards staff is unacceptable. If you or any of your colleagues are worried about this incident, please reach out to your manager for support, which is always available.’

Health secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘Nurses are the backbone of our NHS and should be able to care for patients without fear of violence.’

Police presence increased as investigators examine what happened

Greater Manchester Police detective sergeant Craig Roters was quoted in a statement as saying: ‘This is a serious incident which has left a woman in a critical condition.

‘Our thoughts are with her family and colleagues, and we will continue to support them throughout this investigation.

‘The local community can expect to see an increase in police presence while we carry out enquiries, but they are also there to offer reassurance and answer any questions you may have.

‘We know that news of this nature will come as a shock, and if you have any concerns or anything you would like to share, please speak to them.’

Nurses more likely to face threats or assaults at work

Nurses and other healthcare professionals are around 2.4 times more likely than the general working population to face threats or assaults at work.

An RCN survey published in 2022 found that 64% of respondents reported having been verbally abused by a patient, service user or relative in the previous 12 months.

One in four (26%) said they had been physically abused at work.

In 2018, the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act made it a specific offence in England and Wales to assault emergency workers, including nurses.

But Ministry of Justice figures show that the custody rate for offenders is just 19.4% and the average sentence only 3.1 months.


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