NHS staff face ‘national emergency’ as patient violence hits 285 incidents a day

Nearly 300,000 violent and sexual assaults recorded by NHS trusts in England over three years, Guardian analysis shows

• Spat at, pushed, punched': medics tell of soaring levels of violence in hospitals

Nurses, doctors and paramedics are reporting tens of thousands of violent and sexual assaults by patients every year, amid warnings that the abuse of NHS staff has become a national crisis.

More than 295,000 incidents of physical violence and aggression by patients against staff were recorded by 212 NHS trusts in England between 2022 and 2025, freedom of information requests by the Guardian found.