Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust stand together with staff against violence and abuse

Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT) reaffirms its stance that violence and abuse against staff will not be tolerated. Following the launch of the No Excuse for Abuse campaign in 2021, CWPT has supported staff and worked closely with local police forces to prosecute people in cases that meet criminal thresholds.
CWPT is committed to ensuring staff feel safe and are safe at work. This has resulted in several prosecutions over the last 2 years against patients who have physically assaulted Trust staff. These include a patient who threw boiling water at a staff member, who was sentenced to 18 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and an order to pay compensation of £250 to the victim. Another patient who struck a staff member was sentenced to an 18-month community order, including rehabilitation requirements, and ordered to pay compensation. A repeat offender who pleaded guilty to 8 counts of abuse against various emergency workers is also due to be sentenced.
Mary Mumvuri, Chief Nursing Officer and Deputy CEO at CWPT, said: “Following recent events, it’s even more important than ever to be clear that we do not tolerate abuse of any kind. Racism, discrimination, bullying, or incivility have no place in our society and will not be tolerated in Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust.
“Violence and abuse have serious impacts on NHS staff and care workers, and we will always act against abusive behaviour towards our staff.”
Will Fuller, Local Security Management Specialist at CWPT, said: “The recent successful prosecutions show that we can and will prosecute patients who assault or threaten our staff.
“It is vital that staff feel confident to report assaults and, as part of our No Excuse for Abuse campaign, we are supporting staff to follow the correct processes for reporting all abuse that they face. Where abuse and violence against staff meet criminal thresholds, we will press charges, with the aim of securing convictions.”