The strategy of dealing with violent patients using a hard policing approach has failed, suggests Gary Watt, who believes what is needed is informed compassion

This article will critique the Department of Health (DH) zero tolerance campaign, which was intended to wipe out violence and aggression in the NHS. It will explore the inception and evolution of the policy and consider how it was designed to fit in with wider government initiatives. Examples of how the campaign has been received and worked within learning disability services are examined with an emphasis on ways of shaping the future.