A member of staff at Barnsley Hospital’s A&E Department was the victim of a racial hate crime after being verbally and physically abused, earlier this year. 

The perpetrator had to be restrained, and no physical injuries were sustained by the victim.  

A nurse who works at Barnsley Hospital and did not wish to be identified said: “I don’t feel safe at all, none of us do, but that’s part of the job. 

“I’ve been spat at, pushed and screamed at, right in my face. Some people will find any reason to abuse you, whether it’s the colour of your skin or your accent. They just need to take it out on someone.”

The last time a racial element was noted in the hospital’s records was in 2022. The type of assault was listed as: “Racial abuse, verbal threats.”  

We can exclusively reveal that from October 2021 to October 2024, 12 incidents have taken place involving assaults on A&E staff at the Trust. 

One third of these assaults have occurred in 2024.

The Barnsley nurse said: “You’re dealing with very upset, stressed people and emotions are fraught. You don’t know how some people will react in high pressure situations. 

“There’s a lot of policies and procedures there but they won’t stop it happening. They even talked about getting stab vests once but I’m not sure if that was just a joke.”

The most recent assault of racial abuse is one of only two times someone has had to be restrained in this three year period. The other was in 2022, when someone ‘swung a chair’. No injuries were caused from this. 

Bob Kirton, Managing Director of Barnsley Hospital, said: “While incident levels are low at our Trust, we want all colleagues to feel supported and know they have a right to feel safe at work. 

“We have appropriate reporting mechanisms in place for anyone experiencing unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful behaviours, and we offer support for any in our workforce who need it.”

Barnsley Hospital has a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to ‘all forms of unacceptable and threatening behaviour’. 

The hospital has signed up to the NHS England Sexual Safety Charter, committing to combat behaviour such as sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. 

Working with Barnsley Council, the Hospital uses CCTV cameras on the most-used routes between the main hospital and the town centre. Security officers and nurses also use body-worn cameras on site.

Anyone feeling unsafe at work can find information here.