Development of a nurse-led domestic abuse service for general practice

One in four women and one in six men experience domestic abuse, and 100 women and 30 men die as a result of domestic abuse in England each year. In addition, 140,000 children live in homes where there is high-risk domestic abuse, with 62% being directly harmed by the perpetrator. The prevalence of domestic abuse is much higher among people attending GP practices than the wider population so GPs are well placed to identify patients at risk and help them access support. Despite this, GPs are often unaware of high-risk cases among their patients or the existence of safety plans, and fail to share information that could help safeguard people at high risk of such abuse. This article describes a nurse-led domestic abuse service for general practice, which improves information sharing and increases GP engagement to give earlier and effective interventions for people at greatest risk of harm.

In this article…

• The role of GPs in helping safeguard vulnerable people from domestic abuse

• Improving safety planning for high-risk cases through better information sharing

• The benefits of a domestic abuse liaison nurse service in general practice

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed

Key points

One in four women and one in six men in England experience domestic abuse, which claims the lives of 100 women and 30 men each year

Of women in violent relationships, 80% have been reported as seeking help from health staff - usually in general practice

GP information that could help safeguard people at high risk of domestic violence is often not shared

GPs are often unaware of high-risk cases among their patients or the existence of safety plans

A nurse-led domestic abuse service for general practice can improve GP engagement and information sharing to help safeguard patients at risk