Kindness Matters
Our Kindness Matters initiative aims to tackle the increasing cases of violence and aggression that our staff face from patients, their families, and members of the public to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and other patients.
These incidents don’t just affect individuals; they create an environment of fear, stress, and low morale, which in turn impacts the care our we provide to our patients.
Our teams work hard to treat every patient with kindness, respect, and dignity. In return, they deserve the same courtesy—and above all, they deserve to feel safe at work.
Why Kindness Matters
Our staff dedicate themselves to providing compassionate care, often under immense pressure. In our hospitals, clinics, and community settings across Croydon, staff members in many roles – doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, porters, receptionists, and many others – are committed to helping patients feel safe, respected, and cared for.
Unfortunately, we as NHS workers are at a higher risk of violence at work compared to other professions, and this has worsened in recent years, particularly since the pandemic.
The 2024 NHS Staff Survey revealed some troubling statistics from our colleagues. They told us that:
- Over 30% of them had experienced harassment, bullying, or abuse from patients, their families, or the public.
- Over 18% of them were physically assaulted while at work.
Last year, our security teams responded to 3,556 incidents, meaning there were at least ten security incidents every day, many involving hostility towards those that are there to provide care to those in our community.
These numbers are more than just statistics—they represent real people, our colleagues, facing unacceptable behaviour while simply doing their jobs.
The goal of Kindness Matters is simple - to encourage positive interactions between our staff and patients and visitors using our services. We are proud to care for you, so remember your support and your kindness can go a long way to ensuring the best experience.
Hear from our staff
