ATTACKS on doctors and nurses at Bury's hospitals are taking place at a rate of more than one a week - say health chiefs.

Shocking figures just out show that 76 members of the clinical staff were injured in assaults during the past year.

Now the worrying findings have prompted them to launch top-level talks with the police in a bid to stamp out the violence.

One member of staff was off work for five days because of an assault deemed so serious that details were reported to the Health and Safety Executive.

A further 26 incidents were recorded where no injuries were reported. There were also 171 instances of verbal abuse, including 10 incidents where angry parents threatened staff on the paediatric unit.

Mr David Clements, hospitals general manager, said most incidents occurred in the accident and emergency department and the psychiatric ward.

"We would expect incidents in the psychiatric unit as it is an occupational hazard. Staff there are trained to deal with those situations," said Mr Clements.

"But incidents in the casualty department tend to occur because people are intoxicated and frustrated with having to wait to be seen. They take it out on the staff."

Between April and June this year there were 119 incidents of verbal and physical assaults or threats to staff. Two cases resulted in prosecutions, with one resulting in a court conviction.

Now bosses at Bury Health Care NHS Trust - responsible for running local hospitals - say enough is enough and they are talking with police to discuss ways of improving staff safety.

Mr Clements said: "Female members of staff do feel very vulnerable as it can be a very frightening experience. Verbal abuse is very common and violence or the threat of violence is very distressing for both men and women."

Staff are being shown how to defuse violent situations but Mr Clements added: "training staff to deal with avoiding violence is very different from the extensive training they need for coping with violent situations, which is why we concentrate on avoidance."

The trust has also introduced a policy of writing to patients who verbally and physically abuse staff, to ask for an apology.

"We send about two or three letters out a week and one-in-three reply," said Mr Clements. "People are usually apologising for their behaviour under the influence of alcohol."

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