Common risks faced by lone‑working healthcare workers — and how to mitigate them

There are roughly 2 million lone working healthcare workers in the UK. This includes both NHS employees and social care workers with job roles such as district nurses, community midwives, paramedics, mental health nurses, GPs, lab technicians, receptionists, porters, care workers, social workers and admin staff. An estimated 1.2 million of these healthcare professionals work alone almost daily. 

Lone-working in healthcare carries real and sometimes underestimated risks—from aggression and accidents to mental health strain. So, what can we do to mitigate these most common risks and protect vulnerable staff? Read on to find out... 

The most common risks faced by healthcare staff working alone.

The most common risks faced by healthcare staff working alone are:

• Violence and aggression - Healthcare professionals often engage with patients or family members who are distressed, confused, or under emotional strain.
• Hazards or accidents in workplaces or homes - In unfamiliar homes or clinics, there’s a higher risk of slips, trips &  falls, equipment mishaps or other accidents. 
• Health emergencies or medical incidents - A sudden illness or injury (e.g. heart attack, allergic reaction) while alone can quickly spiral without rapid response. 
  
• Isolation and poor mental health - Loneliness, anxiety, or burnout can worsen when healthcare workers lack peer support. Research links workplace violence exposure to PTSD, anxiety, sleep disorders, and burnout.

Ways to mitigate the risks faced by health and social care workers:

Lone worker policy and risk assessments

It's important to start from the very beginning when it comes to mitigating risks. Carry out a thorough risk assessment for all your health and social care workers detailing all of the risks and hazards they may face, when and how often they may face them and the level of these risks. Only by doing this will you; ensure that you are aware of all of the types of risks, understand the magnitude of these risks and choose appropriate measures to mitigate them. 

Following your risk assessment it's also vital you put together a comprehensive lone worker policy. This informs lone workers about the measures that are in place to protect them and which clarifies roles, responsibilities and procedures. As well as covering preventative measures, your lone working policy should also include the actions that will be taken if an incident occurs. 

Situational awareness and de-escalation training

Providing situational awareness training and de-escalation training is vital for healthcare workers and social care workers working alone. It helps them to feel safer and can prove invaluable if they find themselves in a dangerous or vulnerable situation.

De-escalation techniques empower workers to manage tense situations calmly, reducing the likelihood of violence or conflict without support nearby. Situational awareness training will help your lone working healthcare and social care workers to: 

• • Recognise early signs of danger or aggression.

  • Understand environmental cues that may indicate risk.

  • Respond proactively to reduce potential harm.

   

Regular wellbeing check-ins 

Never underestimate the power of regular check-ins or 1-2-1 meetings. These are critical for ensuring the wellbeing of your lone workers and mitigating the risks of isolation, stress and burnout.

Regular check-ins from managers, supervisors or peers:

• Provide emotional support and connection.

• Allow early identification of mental health concerns or job stress.

• Reinforce a culture of care and accountability.

Pre-visit risk assessments 

Even if you have already completed a lone working risk assessment it can also be helpful to conduct specific pre-visit risk assessments too. These are particularly important when entering a high risk environment or dealing with very volatile, highly stressed or violent patients. 

Pre-visit risk assessments:

• • Help identify hazards (e.g. aggressive patients, unsafe areas).

  • Inform safety planning and necessary precautions.

  • Reduce uncertainty and increase confidence during visits.

Safety equipment and PPE 

Whether working alone or with other colleagues around it's essential that healthcare professionals and social care workers have access to the correct safety equipment and PPE for their job role. 

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and safety tools:

• • Protect against environmental and biological risks.

  • Ensure staff can operate safely in high-risk scenarios (e.g., infection control, hazardous materials).

  • Enhance a healthcare workers' ability to handle emergencies independently.

Breaks and flexible scheduling 

Working alone in the healthcare and social care sector can be physically and mentally draining without structured support. To protect mental wellbeing and reduce the risk of stress its important that lone workers take regular breaks and are allowed to work flexibly, where possible. 

• Scheduled breaks and flexibility:

  • Help prevent fatigue and maintain alertness.

  • Allow time to recover from emotionally challenging visits.

  • Encourage better work-life balance, reducing burnout risk.

Lone worker solutions  

Lone worker solutions are safety tech systems designed specifically for protecting lone workers, with GPS tracking, real time monitoring and emergency response features. 

They provide:

• • Rapid response capability in an emergency.

  • Peace of mind for workers and managers knowing help is readily accessible.

  • Clear audit trails and accountability for health and safety procedures.

For healthcare and social care workers at risk of physical violence, abuse or assault, as well as other risks, at LONEALERT we recommend a lone worker solution with a discreet personal safety device such as an SOS fob or ID card holder with SOS button. These lone worker alarms provide vital protection and assistance through;

• • A large, discreet SOS panic button to raise an alarm with just one press during a threatening or emergency situation.
  • The ability to set a timer when entering a risky environment or meeting patients likely to be distressed, violent or abusive (thus alerting a manager if a timer is not responded to when it elapses).
  • Fall detection which automatically raises an alarm in the event of a fall.
  • Two way voice communications to reassure the lone worker in an emergency situation.
  • A multi-net SIM which connects searches for the strongest UK mobile network, keeping your lone workers connected wherever they are.
  • Built-in GPS for lone worker wellbeing, so help can be sent quickly to their exact location in an emergency.
  • Fully connected to The OWL Portal (our management system) for real-time updates and response.

Alternatively, a cost effective safety solution option for lone working healthcare professionals and social care workers is our lone worker app with Bluetooth Switch.

Our lone worker app transforms your lone workers' smartphone into a lone worker safety device. The Bluetooth Switch is an accessory to the Lone Worker App, giving you and your lone workers added reassurance. It enables lone workers to directly raise an alarm to the ARC, bypassing the need to unlock their phone or open the app, AND provides fall detection.