Health and safety at work: a guide for district nurses

Sickness absence across the NHS costs a billion pounds a year with accidents at work accounting for a significant proportion of that absence. Over half the major injuries in the health service are caused by avoidable slips and falls. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 the NHS as an employer and district nurses as employees have a duty to manage health and safety effectively and to ensure that others are not put at risk by work-related activities. Breaching a requirement of health and safety law is a criminal offence so it is essential that district nurses are able to fulfil their duty and so avoid prosecution.