How many of us actually just put up and shut up? What are our rights?
Have name changed as this is something I've already talked a lot about at work lately.
I'm an AHP in a hospital. I have been shouted at and had lewd remarks and been touched inappropriately by patients. Each time it has happened, I've reported it to the ward manager and my own manager. I don't know what happens after that. My manager asks me if I'd want a colleague to join me in future sessions with that specific patient but then I see other services continuing to work alone with that particular patient on the ward. Some of these patients have capacity and some don't. Should my hospital be doing more to protect staff and to protect vulnerable patients? There is a lone working policy on the intranet but that seems to apply more to staff going out and visiting patients in their own home.
The story I refer to (sorry, cant link on my phone) is about a female paramedic who accused her patient of sexual assault after he groped her bottom while she was treating him in the back of the ambulance. He is now on the offenders' register.
This has happened to me lots of times and I've just put up with it because someone might have acute or longstanding cognitive issues. I get angrier when I'm yelled at by patients with full capacity. I don't know if that fair or not but I'm trying to be honest here.
Can I ask what should actually be getting done to protect staff? No one seems to know that I have asked and lots of my colleagues just put up because we are working mostly with patients who have dementia. I cant see any other policies on the intranet relating to this. I'm not saying that we should be going to the police or anything but this story today has fired me up a bit more to just not sit back and accept this as part of my job anymore.
Would be grateful for any advice as I have a line management meeting soon and wish to raise this again and hopefully make some progress with a solution this time.