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‘Shocking’ number of attacks on A&E staff

‘Shocking’ number  of attacks on A&E staff

Hospital workers are being attacked on average every three days in the north and north-east.

New figures show 250 attacks on accident and emergency staff in NHS Highland and NHS Grampian over the past two years, with a further 21 in the three island health boards.

Incidents ranged from verbal and racial abuse to physical attacks, such as punches and slaps to those involving weapons.

The health boards last night said they took the safety of staff seriously and encouraged all to report incidents – but stressed some incidents were not deliberate, and could be the result of a patient’s medical condition.

NHS Grampian reported 142 incidents in 2012 and 2013. A health board spokeswoman said such behaviour was unacceptable and all staff were encouraged to report incidents of physical and verbal abuse.

She said: “However, it is important not to stigmatise patients involved in an incident. Many incidents are due to the clinical condition of the patient.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Highland, which reported 108 cases, said: “The NHS takes the care of its staff seriously and encourages them to record all incidents of violent and aggressive behaviour to allow us to investigate and learn from incidents so we can continually improve staff and patient safety.”

The figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats through freedom of information legislation showed 774 attacks across Scotland in 2012 and 2013 – the equivalent of one a day.

Lib Dem health spokesman Jim Hume said: “It is shameful that A&E staff are having to fend off violent and verbal attacks whilst trying to do their job.”

North-east MSP and Scottish Conservative public health spokeswoman Nanette Milne said: “These figures are shocking and should act as a wake-up call for SNP ministers.

“It is totally unacceptable that NHS staff are subjected to any form of attack of abuse when they are trying to help patients. Every public sector worker deserves protection from threatening or abusive behaviour.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said no one should be the victim of abuse or violence while at work.