Triggers of violence and aggression in A&E

Many areas in A&E departments are crowded with a range of different people, forced together by difficult circumstances

Whilst all NHS Trusts aim to treat 95 per cent of patients within the four hours, waiting for any length of time can be a difficult experience

Many people describe a dislike of hospitals not least because hospitals can be uncomfortable places which are not pleasant to spend time in

When arriving at A&E people can feel ‘out of sorts’ for a large number of reasons. Sometimes the way patients are managed can further lead to a loss of perspective

A&E is a place where people may be experiencing extreme life events, suffering with pain or stress, or having to be party to how other people are coping (or not) with their own stressful experiences

A&E is typically a very busy environment, with considerable amounts of equipment and large numbers of people using the space

From a patient’s perspective it can sometimes feel as if staff in A&E environments are disorganised and lacking focus

Hospital environments are often tightly controlled by policies, guidance, rules and regulations – much of which is difficult to decipher, inconsistently applied, and can be contrary to what happens in practice

Working in an A&E department is highly demanding on staff, many of whom work 12-hour shifts. Over time, staff can become both physically and emotionally tired, struggling to find the energy to deal with the constant flow of patients