Campaign highlights staff abuse
Tuesday, 29 April, 2008
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SECAmb) has pledged its support for a campaign to reduce abuse against NHS Staff.
The 'Your Choice of Treatment' campaign was launched in Maidstone, after it was revealed that 1,870 NHS staff in the area had been physically assaults in the last three years.
Security Manager for South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Bill Chilcott, said, "We believe that our staff should be able to do their job without the threat of being attacked or actually being assaulted and as such the Trust will do what it can to try and prevent violence against our staff.
"This is why I believe it is very important that we support this campaign and draw attention to this very serious issue. We want to help people; we don't want to have to support prosecutions unless necessary."
'Your Choice of Treatment' targets the minority of people who are abusive to health professionals with a clear message - if you choose to assault NHS staff, you will face prosecution and possibly prison.
The ads are being featured in a variety of settings throughout the Kent region, including on roadside billboards, on a 20-ft mobile billboard, on train platforms and in the washrooms of pubs and clubs. The message is also being promoted in local radio advertisements.
SECAmb will be showing its support by carrying the 'Your Choice of Treatment' campaign poster on its frontline vehicles across the South East region.
The campaign has strong community support and is backed by all local NHS Trusts, County Council, police and local MPs.
