Work related aggression and violence within the health and social services sector is a major problem which diminishes the quality of working life for staff, compromises organizational effectiveness and ultimately impacts negatively on the provision and quality of care. These problems pervade both service settings and occupational groups. As the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) stated in a recent discussion paper with the aim of putting a stop to violence in the health care sector: “Enough is enough”.

The aim of the 6th International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector is to provide a platform for all parties confronted with the phenomenon of violence in healthcare to develop and implement positive practice and proactively respond to this complex problem. Positive practice is defined here as practice sufficiently informed by capacities and technologies to minimize violence such that the central task of the healthcare service – delivering the best help to its users – can be achieved.

Specific objectives of the Sixth Conference

1. Enhance the understanding of facets of violence in the health sector – such as its root causes and patterns, the impact and consequences, successful strategies and initiatives – which can help advance the delivery of positive practice.
2. Learn more about resources such as policy and/or practice initiatives, tool-kits, and instruments which can help advance the delivery of positive practice.

In the course of the Conference, which will be attended by several affiliates of the Public Services International, PSI will participate in an interactive debate to look at how far progress has been made in curtailing violence in the health sector since the “Framework Guidelines for Addressing Violence in the Health Sector” was first published in 2002.

See also:

http://www.world-psi.org/en/framework-guidelines-addressing-workplace-violence-health-sector

https://pop-umbrella.s3.amazonaws.com/sites/default/files/documents/research/en_psi_report_for_actrav_study_on_violence_in_the_health_sector_nov_2016....pdf

http://oudconsultancy.nl/toronto_6_ICWV/violence/invitation-sixth.html