Public Servant Lifestyle

New national guidelines, to protect National Health Service personnel, are intended to balance the need to protect workers, with the duty to provide health care.

Verbal threats, violence, vandalism, and drug and alcohol abuse, will all be grounds for refusing treatment. However, patients with severe mental health problems, or suffering life-threatening conditions, will not be denied care.

Patients will be issued a verbal and written warning, before treatment is withheld. However, if under threat of immediate danger, staff may make an on-the-spot decision, to refuse treatment.

Health Secretary

Health secretary Alan Milburn said: "It is simply deplorable that people, who spend their lives caring for others, should face the daily threat of verbal or physical assault. Violent and abusive behaviour should not be tolerated in the NHS, whether committed by patients, or by their relatives.

"Withholding treatment should only ever be a last resort, and must be subject to stringent safeguards. So, the guidelines set out the circumstances where the withholding of treatment will be inappropriate, such as when a patient requires emergency treatment, or is not competent to take responsibility for their actions.

"Assault is a crime, and the NHS should always press for the maximum possible penalty, for anyone who commits a crime against NHS staff."

More information available in Advice