Zero Tolerance ...

We've all seen the signs in our hospitals which have spread around other NHS outlets and establishments and then around other outlets where (mainly) public services are dispensed.

THIS PLACE OPERATES A ZERO TOLERANCE TO VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION

I first spotted a notice like the one here (which I got from the 'net and it refers to abuse against health professionals in New South Wales) in 1996 when I visited an A&E department of a hospital, not too far from Acocks Green, a white working class area of Birmingham. The hospital in question was Birmingham Heartlands, formerly known as East Birmingham Hospital. It came to my attention as a man who was obviously concerned about the (lack of) treatment to his child began to raise his voice and adopt an aggressive posture.

Now I do not condone violence in any way shape or form, but I do not like being placed in a position where I am being given blatantly poor service from anywhere, especially where it concerns the health of loved ones, such as in hospitals.

Zero tolerance has recently been taken to a new estreme in a Lincolnshire hospital...

AGGRESSIVE patients or visitors to hospitals in northern Lincolnshire could find themselves caught on camera.

The hospital trust which runs Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Goole hospitals says new digital body cameras worn by security staff will act as a deterrent if anyone starts being physically or verbally abusive but may also provide footage for use in prosecutions.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which has a zero-tolerance policy against violence or abuse of staff, visitors and patients, will not disclose how many of the mobile cameras there are.

Staff will wear high-visibility green armbands identifying them as a mobile CCTV operator.

Before starting to film they will warn people their behaviour is unacceptable and their intention is to record it.

The trust says they do not have more of a problem with assaults and violence than anywhere else.

Over the subsequent years, I too have been at the receiving end of poor service, and not being trained to cope, have responded in the way that I am supposed to, and raised my voice or banged a desk and "BOOM" I have been excluded from the services at that establishment.

So what is ZERO TOLERANCE TO VIOLENCE OR AGGRESSION?

Zero tolerance to violence or aggression is a device or mechanism fabricated by governments to ensure that it can underfund its own services to a point that the service fails to perform satisfactorily. Its use is an adjunct to political correctness and is very often

On the bandwagon along with the health services, come the social, welfare and income support services and, more recently, the private sector, where poor service has always been rife!