A third of UK healthcare workers surveyed report being physically attacked in the past month.
We ask healthcare staff what they face from patients and relatives, and what happens after they report it.
Free webinar · 17 November
3pm GMT · 10am ET · 7am PT · Recording available.
AWARE is founded and funded by Reveal Media Limited.
In 30 seconds
If you run a ward, a practice or a service, this is what staff like yours tell us.
of UK healthcare workers report being physically attacked by a patient or relative in the past month.
Based on 2,905 UK healthcare workers surveyed between 2 June 2026 and 21 September 2026 · October 2026 reading · responses to 21 September 2026.
UK healthcare and UK retail, side by side.
The levels of verbal abuse are similar. 78% of UK healthcare workers report verbal abuse from a patient or relative in the past month, compared with 82% of UK retail workers from a customer. 44% in healthcare and 46% in retail report being verbally abused three or more times.
Aggression is named as a pressure less often in healthcare. Workload is the most common pressure in both sectors: 83% in healthcare and 81% in retail. Pay is named by 65% and 62%. Patient or relative aggression is named by 29% of healthcare workers; customer aggression by 51% of retail workers.
The main difference is reporting. 79% of UK healthcare workers are required to report incidents, compared with 51% in UK retail. What happens next is similar. Of retail workers required to report, 76% say nothing happens beyond an acknowledgement, or they do not know what happens; of healthcare staff who answered, 75%.
The link between support and how workers feel is similar in both sectors. Among workers who feel not supported at all, 87% in healthcare and 85% in retail feel negative about work. Among those who feel very supported, that falls to 27% and 29%.
What staff face
Most report verbal abuse. A third report being physically attacked.
From patients and relatives, in the past month
44% report verbal abuse three or more times in the past month.
Asked to choose up to three things that add most to their stress at work, 83% name workload or understaffing and 65% name pay or cost of living. 29% name patient or relative aggression.
The questions: “In the past month, how many times have you been verbally abused, insulted or shouted at by a patient or relative?”, “…threatened by a patient or relative?”, “…physically attacked by a patient or relative?” and “Select up to three things that significantly add to your stress at work.” Threatened or physically attacked counts anyone who answered yes to either of the first two.
What happens after a report
Little follows a report. Few are told what’s being done about it.
79% of UK healthcare workers are required to report incidents of patient or relative aggression. Of staff who answered what typically happens after a report, 75% say nothing happens that they’re aware of, they get an acknowledgement and no more, or they don’t know what happens.
26%
say nothing happens that they’re aware of
of staff who answered what happens after a report
12%
are told what’s being done about it
of staff who answered what happens after a report
An employer’s incident records show that an incident was reported. They don’t show what happened afterwards.
The questions: “Does your employer require you to report incidents of patient or relative aggression?” and “After an incident is reported, what typically happens next?”
Support after abuse
The less supported staff feel,
the more negative they are about work.
Feel negative about going to work, by how supported they feel
65% of those who face abuse or aggression feel not very or not at all supported.
Within each level of abuse, the unsupported are still far more negative.
The questions: “When you experience verbal abuse or aggression from a patient or relative, how supported do you feel at work?” and “How does going to work feel right now?” Negative means “Dread it” or “Not great”.
Free webinar · 17 November
3pm GMT · 10am ET · 7am PT
The findings, live
What frontline workers tell us, what happens after an incident, and where an employer can start looking at its own response. Recording available.
RegisterUse now
Use the conversation guide
A short practical guide for managers and teams to talk about abuse, reporting and support after an incident.
Open the guideTalk to us
Your own organisation
A briefing on these findings for your board, leadership or People team.
Work in healthcare yourself? Tell us what happens where you work. It takes a few minutes, and we don’t publish respondent-level data. Take part →
Pass this on
Open it in your own email with the link ready, or copy the link.
Get new findings by email
One email when new findings are published. Reveal Media Limited holds your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time. Privacy policy →
Sign up