Our staff can only provide care if they feel safe. Even one act of violence is too many. Learn how you can help keep our hospitals and health care spaces safe and respectful for all.
Every day, health care workers report threats to their safety. From verbal to physical abuse, violence against health care workers is more common than you think. It’s important to be aware of the role you and your family play, as either patients or visitors, in ensuring a positive, safe and respectful health care experience for everyone.
We know people accessing our services, particularly in emergency situations, are under stress and worried for their health or the health of a loved one. Our staff are here to help. Threats and violence will not be tolerated.
Violence and abuse against health care workers can negatively impact their mental and physical health, cause anxiety and sleep disruption and increase sick time and job dissatisfaction. This, in turn, impacts their ability to care for patients.
All patients and visitors to our hospitals and health care sites are responsible for treating others with respect and dignity and we reserve the right to address any violent or threatening behaviours in order to ensure a safe workplace and health care environment for our staff and patients.
Our staff also have a responsibility to treat patients and visitors with respect, compassion and dignity. If you feel that you or your loved one have experienced anything less, it is important to raise your concerns to the site leadership. It is best to do this as soon as possible after an incident occurs. Learn more about how to bring forward your concerns here.
Thank you for helping to keep our health care spaces free from threats and violence.