Objectives & Background Redbridge Tackling Knife Crime Programme was an initiative run between Redbridge Safer Communities Partnership, a London-based police force and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital Trust. It comprised of data collection resulting in the analysis of types of assault, locations, demographics of both assailant and victim and were police informed. Domestic violence (DV) was identified as a category of assault. The inspiration came from the 1996 ‘Cardiff-model’–the Violence Prevention Group shared ED assault data with its police force. The outcome led to enhanced effectiveness of the police in managing alcohol-related violence. The TKAP aim is it identify DV locations and patterns, otherwise unknown to police by improved intelligence gathered through ED data. As a result police deployment can reflect areas of need and allow police to compare their own figures allowing a more informed service for DV victims.

Methods The patient recording system, Symphony, was adjusted to accommodate data vital for intelligence gathering. Parameters recorded included arrival in ED, assault date and time, location, were the police called, number of attackers, relationship to the victim, body part assaulted, object if any used, or body part and was this a repeat assault. If the assailant was either a family member, spouse or partner the assault is identified as DV.

Results The 10-month data collection identified 221 patients as DV out of the 2011 total figure of assault victims from TKAP. ED data showed 66% were female and 24% were male, differing from police data which shows 83% as female. The majority of females were aged 18–44 years at 74%, with males aged 35–59 years at 58% and 29% between 1–25 years. For both male and female, 5% were under 16 years old.

Conclusion Data identified a significant number of female assault patients who were DV victims were repeat victims and had not called the police. Overall figures acknowledged some DV victims treated in ED were not involved in the data collection. This is attributed to the victim refusing to implicate the assailant. Those that participated had the most significant injuries–suggesting they were subject to extended cycles of abuse and were reaching out for help.

Results will be used to implement police enforcement activities and prevention work, hence improving safe-guarding.