Domestic abuse is ‘public health emergency’, experts say after critical NHS report | Domestic violence

Domestic violence is a public health emergency, said experts have concluded, after a report concluded that the NHS fails the victims by not forming staff to identify and respond to signs of domestic violence.

About one in four people (21.6%) in England and Wales aged 16 and over underwent domestic violence, affecting 12.6 million people, according to the latest figures from The Office for National Statistics.

The analysis shows that the NHS has more contact with the victims and the authors than any other public service.

But new research from the charity is being implemented against domestic violence (Stada) says that the health service lacks vital possibilities to save lives. He examined all the official journals of homicides and suicides linked to domestic violence published in 2024 and found that around 90% cited the NHS safeguard defects.

The lack of training on domestic violence was the most common criticism identified. The National Institute for Excellence of Health and Care advises compulsory training for front line staff of the NHS in the identification and proper management of victims of domestic violence. But Stada’s analysis revealed that such training was “sporadic and inconsistent”.

The report also highlights the repeated NHS failures to record risks, share information and obtain the help of victims of other specialists such as alcohol and mental health services and advisers independent of domestic violence.

The results follow a distinct study published in Lancet Regional Health Europe, which calculated that 26% of all women who died by suicide and were known to secondary mental health services, had been the victim of domestic violence.

The government is expected to publish its strategy this summer on how to respond to its promise to make violence against women and girls by 2034.

But without urgent action, this ambition will not be carried out, concludes the Stada report. The NHS is expected to finance compulsory and standardized training on domestic violence for front -line health professionals and specialized support such as domestic violence advisers in mental health, the study recommends. Data recording and information sharing must also be improved.

Cherryl Henry-Leach, the CEO of Stada, said: “We call on the government to recognize domestic violence as a public health problem.

“To treat [domestic abuse] Only as a criminal justice issue costs costs. The NHS has more contact with victims and authors than any other public service, which makes it unique to deal with this crisis. »»

Tim Woodhouse, a specialist in suicide prevention and author of the Churchill Fellowship report on suicide and domestic violence, said: “Domestic violence is a public health emergency. The level of physical and mental pain imposed on the victims (and their children) by the authors is immense and we know that, for many, that mental torture becomes too great and that they end up taking a life.

“I calculated that 1,800 people per year could die in suicides linked to domestic violence each year. It is a tragically high waste of life and a national scandal. ”

Andrea Simon, director of the End violence coalition Again Women Coalition, said: “Health agents are often the first and only the point of contact for victims of abuse and it is essential that they are equipped to identify, sign and safeguard the victims who need support. including the risk posed by suicides linked to domestic violence. »»

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, the president of the Royal College of GPS, said that relationships of trust between GPS with patients, “it is concern to hear that the possibilities of helping victims could be missed”.

More training would be well received and precious, she added: “as long as they are appropriately financed, take into account the existing training that GPs receive on safeguarding and the pressures of the workload that we face daily”.

An NHS spokesperson said: “All NHS staff members are required to complete the safeguard of training on domestic violence and abuses in order to give them the skills and knowledge they need to support victims and survivors, and this training is currently up to date.”

A government spokesperson said: “We remain resolved in our mission to fight domestic violence and set up a system that protects the victims, supports his journey to justice and maintains the authors to report them.

“Health professionals are often the first life buoy for victims of domestic violence – playing an essential role by helping them overcome trauma and rebuilding their lives – and we have prioritized funding to provide 345,000 additional interventions on NHS therapies to guarantee that survivors obtain the support they need.

“Thanks to our change plan, we are developing a coordinated approach through the government, supported by a new strategy to publish later this year, to prevent domestic violence and protect the victims.”