AQW 35181/22-27
Mrs Diane Dodds
Democratic Unionist Party
Upper Bann
Tabled Date: 11/11/2025
Answered On Date: 05/12/2025
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the instances of (i) physical; and (ii) verbal abuse, against health and social care staff, in each of the last five years, broken down by site.
Answer:
The instances of physical and verbal abuse against health and social care staff in each of the last five years, broken down by site are shown in the tables below; Please note: The information in the tables below was requested from and provided by the Trusts for the purpose of this response. Incidents of Physical Abuse Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | BHSCT | Belfast City Hospital | 642 | 453 | 764 | 687 | 751 | 3297 | BHSCT | Forster Green | 198 | 505 | 345 | 453 | 203 | 1704 | BHSCT | Knockbracken Healthcare Park | 413 | 268 | 319 | 411 | 500 | 1911 | BHSCT | Mater Hospital | 40 | 72 | 81 | 108 | 227 | 528 | BHSCT | Muckamore Abbey Hospital | 1800 | 1665 | 1082 | 751 | 193 | 5491 | BHSCT | Musgrave Park Hospital | 55 | 69 | 56 | 95 | 109 | 384 | BHSCT | Royal Group of Hospitals | 233 | 230 | 219 | 284 | 292 | 1258 | BHSCT | Other* | 1263 | 1078 | 1769 | 1505 | 1535 | 7150 | BHSCT | Total | 4644 | 4340 | 4635 | 4294 | 3810 | 21723 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | NHSCT | Antrim Area Hospital | 143 | 183 | 193 | 220 | 228 | 967 | NHSCT | Causeway Hospital | 57 | 87 | 111 | 124 | 214 | 593 | NHSCT | Dalriada Hospital | 14 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 5 | 49 | NHSCT | Holywell Hospital | 780 | 772 | 530 | 678 | 789 | 3549 | NHSCT | Mid Ulster Hospital | 14 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 55 | NHSCT | Moyle Hospital | 3 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 21 | NHSCT | Robinson Hospital | 9 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 56 | NHSCT | Whiteabbey Hospital | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 24 | NHSCT | Other* | 488 | 462 | 540 | 712 | 816 | 3018 | NHSCT | Total | 1510 | 1541 | 1405 | 1784 | 2092 | 8332 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | NIAS | Total** | 340 | 391 | 381 | 457 | 367 | 1936 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | SEHSCT | Downe/Downshire Hospital | 243 | 534 | 551 | 471 | 353 | 2152 | SEHSCT | Lagan Valley Hospital | 126 | 165 | 134 | 191 | 216 | 832 | SEHSCT | Ulster Hospital | 156 | 167 | 211 | 260 | 307 | 1101 | SEHSCT | Other* | 802 | 678 | 1014 | 1132 | 1622 | 5248 | SEHSCT | Total | 1327 | 1544 | 1910 | 2054 | 2498 | 9333 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | SHSCT | Craigavon Hospital | 842 | 785 | 921 | 1279 | 1674 | 5501 | SHSCT | Daisy Hill Hospital | 81 | 70 | 102 | 81 | 73 | 407 | SHSCT | Lurgan Hospital | 50 | 45 | 46 | 91 | 111 | 343 | SHSCT | South Tyrone Hospital | 4 | 27 | 59 | 32 | 43 | 165 | SHSCT | St Lukes Hospital | 111 | 78 | 16 | 12 | 5 | 222 | SHSCT | Other* | 483 | 683 | 656 | 842 | 863 | 3527 | SHSCT | Total | 1571 | 1688 | 1800 | 2337 | 2769 | 10165 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | WHSCT | Altnagelvin Hospital | 151 | 99 | 108 | 131 | 83 | 572 | WHSCT | Grangewood | 155 | 69 | 70 | 65 | 176 | 535 | WHSCT | Lakeview Hospital | 272 | 517 | 243 | 149 | 198 | 1379 | WHSCT | Omagh Hospital & Primary Care Centre | 6 | 11 | 41 | 6 | 21 | 85 | WHSCT | South West Acute Hospital | 130 | 153 | 188 | 193 | 149 | 813 | WHSCT | Tyrone & Fermanagh Hospital | 120 | 83 | 132 | 118 | 298 | 751 | WHSCT | Waterside Hospital | 311 | 268 | 304 | 174 | 260 | 1317 | WHSCT | Other* | 324 | 489 | 489 | 565 | 584 | 2451 | WHSCT | Total | 1469 | 1689 | 1575 | 1401 | 1769 | 7903 |
Incidents of Verbal Abuse Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | BHSCT | Belfast City Hospital | 123 | 95 | 184 | 121 | 177 | 700 | BHSCT | Forster Green | 94 | 28 | 30 | 43 | 26 | 221 | BHSCT | Knockbracken Healthcare Park | 83 | 190 | 119 | 147 | 191 | 730 | BHSCT | Mater Hospital | 9 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 63 | BHSCT | Muckamore Abbey Hospital | 41 | 26 | 13 | 16 | 2 | 98 | BHSCT | Musgrave Park Hospital | 16 | 10 | 13 | 20 | 17 | 76 | BHSCT | Royal Group of Hospitals | 90 | 82 | 79 | 107 | 100 | 458 | BHSCT | Other* | 96 | 172 | 285 | 209 | 228 | 990 | BHSCT | Total | 552 | 617 | 734 | 677 | 756 | 3336 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | NHSCT | Antrim Area Hospital | 60 | 73 | 64 | 63 | 46 | 306 | NHSCT | Causeway Hospital | 28 | 37 | 27 | 32 | 64 | 188 | NHSCT | Dalriada Hospital | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 16 | NHSCT | Holywell Hospital | 77 | 107 | 51 | 82 | 68 | 385 | NHSCT | Mid Ulster Hospital | 2 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 25 | NHSCT | Moyle Hospital | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | NHSCT | Robinson Hospital | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | NHSCT | Whiteabbey Hospital | 12 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 45 | NHSCT | Other* | 237 | 259 | 209 | 302 | 314 | 1321 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | NHSCT | Total | 421 | 494 | 372 | 503 | 504 | 2294 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | NIAS | Total** | 271 | 303 | 274 | 265 | 230 | 1343 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | SEHSCT | Downe/Downshire Hospital | 57 | 60 | 47 | 57 | 64 | 285 | SEHSCT | Lagan Valley Hospital | 14 | 19 | 30 | 65 | 77 | 205 | SEHSCT | Ulster Hospital | 36 | 63 | 68 | 167 | 140 | 474 | SEHSCT | Other* | 75 | 79 | 91 | 134 | 229 | 608 | SEHSCT | Total | 182 | 221 | 236 | 423 | 510 | 1572 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | SHSCT | Craigavon Hospital | 214 | 169 | 241 | 266 | 178 | 1068 | SHSCT | Daisy Hill Hospital | 9 | 9 | 23 | 23 | 37 | 101 | SHSCT | Lurgan Hospital | 3 | 10 | 20 | 25 | 17 | 75 | SHSCT | South Tyrone Hospital | 4 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 47 | SHSCT | St Lukes Hospital | 5 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 45 | SHSCT | Other* | 144 | 187 | 188 | 354 | 274 | 1147 | SHSCT | Total | 379 | 395 | 487 | 688 | 534 | 2483 |
Trust | Site | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total | WHSCT | Altnagelvin Hospital | 62 | 44 | 46 | 69 | 71 | 292 | WHSCT | Grangewood | 55 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 121 | WHSCT | Lakeview Hospital | 15 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 36 | WHSCT | Omagh Hospital & Primary Care Centre | 10 | 14 | 24 | 16 | 21 | 85 | WHSCT | South West Acute Hospital | 37 | 25 | 58 | 57 | 90 | 267 | WHSCT | Tyrone & Fermanagh Hospital | 39 | 20 | 26 | 19 | 34 | 138 | WHSCT | Waterside Hospital | 12 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 39 | WHSCT | Other* | 122 | 141 | 121 | 136 | 127 | 647 | WHSCT | Total | 352 | 265 | 296 | 322 | 390 | 1625 |
*Other includes smaller sites, community locations etc. ** for NIAS it is not possible to provide figures by specific sites/locations.
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