A partnership between police and medical practitioners is helping officers achieve faster charge rates and deliver better support for victims of domestic abuse.

 

Operation Nightingale was launched by Durham Constabulary last year to help provide a better service and quicker treatment for those who have suffered domestic abuse by streamlining existing working practices.

 

As part of the scheme, victims who have sustained injuries as a result of domestic abuse are provided with bespoke medical treatment by one of the force’s forensic practitioners at a safe location of their choosing. Previously all victims were examined in hospital.

 

During the examination, the forensic practitioner thoroughly documents the victim’s injuries in a specially designed booklet featuring extensive body mapping, photographs, and initial witness statements from both the victim and medical practitioner.

 

This evidence is then used by investigating officers to build a high-quality case file to send to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for charging advice.

 

Operation Nightingale was used 35 times last year, resulting in charges for offences such as attempted grievous bodily harm, non-fatal strangulation, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

 

It is the brainchild of Detective Sergeant John Tyers and Investigating Officer Heidi Weir, from Darlington Safeguarding Team.

 

IO Weir said: “This is a very simple way in which we are helping to provide a better service for our victims by simply streamlining and modernising our way of working.

 

“We already work in partnership with healthcare provider, Total Healthcare, whose staff are based within our custody suites, providing treatment to prisoners, administering medication, and examining injuries.

 

“We thought we could help provide a quicker and better service to our victims by using these healthcare staff, rather than sending victims to hospital, which in turn reduces demand.

 

“By doing so, victims receive high quality medical care quickly, and we receive gold standard evidence which often translates into charges, and justice for our victims.”

 

DS Tyers added: “Emerging information would suggest that this approach leads to quicker, more streamlined charging decisions in our domestic abuse cases.

 

“Operation Nightingale is providing a fantastic service for our victims and has saved the force both time and money.

 

“It has also resulted in charges being secured for more serious offences, due to the quality and standard of the evidence we are securing.”

 

A spokeswoman for Total Healthcare said: “Operation Nightingale is a fantastic initiative allowing Durham Constabulary and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust’s Forensic Practitioners to work in collaboration to provide a safe and streamlined holistic care package to complainants.

 

“The focus being to safeguard the complainants, provide forensic interpretation, and instigate onward referral pathways of treatment and support. Forensic Practitioners are well equipped to present the evidence collected in the court process, assisting in the judicial outcome, which in turn supports the complainant.”

 

If you or someone you know is suffering domestic abuse, please contact us on 101, or dial 999 if you are in immediate danger.

 

If you don’t want to speak to the police, there are other helplines available:

 

  • The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247.
  • The local service, Harbour, is also available 24 hours a day on 03000 20 25 25.

 

The above services support both men and women.