The first national awareness day highlighting domestic abuse among the NHS workforce will take place on Wednesday 10 December, with a list of resources to help employers support affected staff.
NHS Domestic Abuse Awareness Day (NHSDAAD) has been launched by the Doctors’ Association UK and the Medical Women’s Federation, following research showing that healthcare professionals are three times more likely to experience domestic abuse than the general UK population.
The Medical Women’s Federation said healthcare professionals in particular ‘face unique barriers around seeking help’.
To mark the day, resources have been released to help NHS organisations support staff who may be experiencing domestic violence and to guide employees dealing with affected colleagues or patients.
These include free resources for practice managers, such as Hestia’s Respond to Abuse Advice Line and an employers’ toolkit.
Practice managers are being asked to back the campaign by displaying an awareness poster that contains information and resources inside the doors of staff toilets. They are also urged to review their domestic abuse policies.
In 2023, NHS England joined the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse. Key recommendations are that NHS employers have a domestic abuse policy for staff as well as patients and appoint a trained point of contact to deal with domestic violence. NHS Employers also published guidance in 2022 to help organisations develop such policies.
Staff wishing to take part in awareness activities on 10 December are encouraged to wear a white ribbon, the global symbol for ending men’s violence against women and girls. These can be ordered here.
The Doctors’ Association UK said there was an ‘urgent need’ for NHS employers to ‘recognise and respond to domestic abuse affecting NHS staff.’
A UK 10-year femicide census found that ‘healthcare professional’ was among the most common occupations of victims. Domestic abuse affects one in four women, and the NHS is one of the largest employers of women globally.
