Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps support healthcare professionals who face (a) discrimination and (b) abuse.

Discrimination and abuse are unacceptable in any workplace, and have no place in the National Health Service. All employers across the NHS should have robust policies in place on how these behaviours should be handled and what support should be made available to staff.

In January 2021, and in conjunction with the Social Partnership Forum, NHS England developed and published a national Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard. This supports employers in their efforts to provide a safe and secure working environment for NHS staff, with a focus on risk management, training, and support for those impacted by incidences of violence or aggression.

NHS England has also developed an NHS Civility and Respect programme to tackle bullying and harassment in the NHS, and to create positive working environments.