The NHS Security Management Service has said that around 55,000 NHS staff reported being assaulted by patients in the year 2008-09 – roughly one every 10 minutes.

The Daily Telegraph reports that most of the assaults took place in mental health and learning disability centres, followed by hospitals.

The figures represent a drop in the number of assaults compared with the previous year, however – in 2007-08, there were 1,273 more incidences of assault reported. Unions say that the level of assault of healthcare staff is still unacceptable – and are calling for NHS managers to do more to protect staff.

Chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, Peter Carter, said:

‘It is completely unacceptable that at least 55,000 physical assaults on nurses and other NHS staff took place in the past year. The very slight decline may be a step in the right direction but too many employers are failing to invest in measures to prevent attacks on staff in the first place.

‘Staff across the NHS deserve to have their safety taken seriously by their employers, the government and the criminal justice system.’

Managing Director of the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service, Dermid McCausland added that many staff would welcome the reduction in the number of assaults – but the NHS would not be complacent:

‘We have more work to do to let all NHS staff know they should not accept violence as part of their job. We continue to maintain our efforts to protect staff,’ said Mr McCausland.

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