Start with the immediate situation
If a threat is unfolding, seek a safer location and use the institution’s emergency procedure. Contact emergency services when immediate danger requires it. Do not pause to complete a website form or collect photographs. The purpose of a local plan is to make assistance easier to obtain while clinicians and trained responders address the situation within their roles.
Assign three separate responsibilities
For planning, distinguish the person requesting assistance, the person coordinating the institution’s response and the clinician arranging continuity of care. One individual may temporarily cover more than one role, but the team should know that explicitly. Use a short location description and a callback number. Avoid broad announcements that expose patient information or attract additional onlookers.
Move from response to follow-up
Once immediate danger has passed, check who needs medical attention or practical support. Record basic timings and the assistance requested through approved channels. Arrange preservation of relevant records by authorised staff. The committee’s later review should examine whether help was available and what needs changing, without asking injured staff to organise the entire process themselves.
Discuss before the next shift
Who can coordinate the response if the usual manager is off-site, and how will that person know they are now responsible?
Further reading
- Global guidance · Violence and harassment ↗World Health Organization · Source checked 2026-09-10
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