University Hospitals of Derby & Burton NHS Trust wanted to do something about the epidemic of patient violence plaguing the NHS, so launched its ‘Right to Care Safely’. The campaign includes raw and powerful photography and is part of a long-term drive to raise awareness, inspire advocacy, offer support to staff and ultimately reduce violence and aggression towards Trust employees.

It began with an internal comms campaign with a series of uncompromising posters. Each included a logo based on the Caduceus staff, the symbol often associated with the Hippocratic oath, and a heart to convey care. The aim was to show staff that they would be listened to and protected if they reported incidents, and that the Trust would take action. In crafting the campaign, TMPW spoke to a number of employees across the Trust who had experienced harrowing incidents, and the posters showcased their stories.

The posters announced that ‘We are taking action’ in a bold typeface, and offered employees a QR code to scan where they could access support. According to Nicola Bullen, associate director for Occupational Health Safety at the Trust, “early indicators are that this campaign will have a significant impact and encourage our staff to report incidents of violence and abuse”.