'NHS staff shouldn't be used as human punchbags - wave of violence is a disgrace'

'NHS staff shouldn't be used as human punchbags - wave of violence is a disgrace' Anyone who abuses NHS staff should be under no illusion that such behaviour is somehow part of the rough and tumble of a busy hospital. It is unacceptable. Violence is disturbing There is something deeply disturbing about people turning their fury on the doctors, nurses and A&E staff trying to help them. To kick a medic, threaten a nurse or racially abuse someone providing emergency care is disgraceful. It is bullying, cowardly, and should carry serious consequences. Such workers are already battling overcrowding, long waits, staff shortages and corridor care. They did not create those pressures and they should not be used as human punchbags by people who cannot control themselves. Fear, frustration and anger may be understandable in an emergency. Violence, intimidation and racism are not. Anyone who abuses NHS staff should be under no illusion that such behaviour is somehow part of the rough and tumble of a busy hospital. It is unacceptable. Hospitals must back staff robustly, police must act where crimes are committed, and offenders must be held accountable. Those who care for us deserve protection, respect and the basic right to go to work without fear. Jenrick a joke Reform UK never tires of claiming free speech is under attack. It invoked that cause over Lucy Connolly and presents itself as the fearless defender of unpopular views. Then somebody heckled Nigel Farage. Footage from Reform’s conference appeared to show a woman being hit with a crutch, dragged by her hair and restrained. Robert Jenrick’s response was: “Oh boohoo.” There was no concern, no condemnation, no recognition of the gravity of what he was being shown. Instead, Jenrick sneered at a woman who appeared to have been assaulted and treated it as a joke. That exposes the hollowness of Reform’s free-speech crusade. Freedom cannot mean protection for your supporters and contempt for your critics. Jenrick’s response was disgraceful and unworthy of public office he so desperately craves. Ooh ooh are ya It turns out chimps have accents too. Youngsters apparently pick up their local dialect as they grow, meaning even the jungle has its own version of regional pronunciation. Scientists say it shows chimp calls are shaped by those around them. So somewhere out there, one chimp is probably being judged for sounding a bit posh.