Freedom of Information requests to 89 trusts in England found that there were 4,054 incidences of physical violence against staff recorded in 2024, compared to 2,093 in 2019 – almost double.

The analysis of NHS data also shows that waits of more than 12 hours in A&E increased by more than 20 times in the same period.

The rise has been so pronounced that it means during a typical working day in England, a member of staff working in the emergency department is being attacked every hour.

At a Bristol hospital, incidents of violence against staff almost doubled between 2019 and 2024. The number of reported attacks increased from 83 to 152.

While at a hospital in Kent, incidents rose by more than 500% from 13 in 2019 to 89 in 2024.

The RCN says the government can reverse the ‘utterly abhorrent' rise in violence against staff by taking decisive action to reduce lengthy waits in A&E, ending corridor care and tackling chronic understaffing.

Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN general secretary and chief executive, said: ‘Behind these shocking figures lies an ugly truth. Dedicated and hard-working nursing staff face rising violent attacks because of systemic failures that are no fault of their own. Every incident is unacceptable, but we need ministers and trust leaders to acknowledge some of the key underlying causes.'

She added: ‘Nursing staff not only go to work underpaid and undervalued but now face a rising tide of violence. It leads to both physical and mental scarring, lengthy time off and sometimes staff never returning. It's unarguably true that you can't fix the health service when vital staff are too scared to even go into work.

‘The government needs to do more than record the shocking levels of violence – it needs to reduce it. Measures to keep staff safe day-to-day are crucial, but the stark reality is that unless the government does something about lengthy waits, corridor care and understaffed nursing teams, more nursing staff will become victims of this utterly abhorrent behaviour.

‘Left unaddressed, this could see plans to reform the NHS fail completely.'

In response, health secretary Wes Streeting, said: ‘I am appalled by these findings. Nurses dedicate their lives to helping others and deserve to go about their jobs free from violence or intimidation. Anyone who violates this core principle will feel the full force of the law.

‘I met with the Royal College of Nursing recently to reaffirm our commitment to standing with frontline workers, working together to stop violence against NHS staff and improving their working conditions.

‘Just yesterday I announced a new graduate guarantee to get more nurses into our NHS, and I have also committed to shining a light on the extent to which corridor care plagues our NHS, as the first step to eradicating it. 

 

‘We are strengthening vital support for victims, including security training and emotional support for staff affected by violence, so no NHS worker has to suffer in silence.'

The analysis comes as Southend Hospital has revealed that body-worn cameras are being introduced in its Emergency Department. The hospital already has more than 200 CCTV cameras, a dedicated security team, and panic buttons in certain areas to protect staff.

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Chief executive of NHS Providers, Daniel Elkeles, said: ‘These findings are absolutely shocking. NHS staff need a safe and respectful environment to look after patients, free from any threat of violence or intimidation, be they in hospital, mental health, community or ambulance settings.

‘Delays for treatment are frustrating for patients and staff – every effort is being made to keep these to a minimum.  Trusts are committed to supporting their staff and keeping them safe.'

Rebecca Smith, director of system and social partnership at NHS Employers, said: ‘The NHS workforce is the engine for NHS reforms and is central to delivering the three shifts in the government's 10-Year Health Plan. Health leaders are working incredibly hard to make their organisations safer, but we know there's still more that must be done.

‘Preventing and reducing violence is one of the areas to be included in the new set of standards for staff to be introduced by April 2026 as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. We will need to build upon the work led by the Social Partnership Forum and the recommendations they have made to help tackle these challenging issues, which we know can be exacerbated by long waits and poorly designed A&E departments.'

Liberal Democrat health and social care spokesperson, Helen Morgan MP, said: ‘The Conservatives' shameful neglect left our hospitals understaffed and patients left at risk. If this Labour government thinks it can turn that around without addressing this shocking violence, they are badly mistaken.

‘The Government must urgently ensure all A&E units have a direct line to their nearest police station through a panic button - to protect patients and staff and ensure these violent criminals are swiftly arrested.'