One in five colleagues at the trust have experienced harassment, violence or abuse from patients, service users, relatives or members of the public, according to the NHS Staff Survey.

Megan Nurse, trust chair, said: ‘Violence and aggression are not part of the job. This strategy makes clear our commitment to protecting our workforce, supporting colleagues to report incidents and taking appropriate action where behaviour is unacceptable.'

The strategy is supported by a staff-led campaign, ‘Our Care. Your Respect', which has been co-designed with colleagues and shaped directly by the lived experiences of staff who have experienced violence and abuse at work.

The strategy will be embedded with ongoing staff engagement, training, partnership working and regular reporting to ensure progress and accountability.

You can find the full strategy on the trust's website. (https://www.mcht.nhs.uk/about-us/our-care-your-respect