Two out of five nurses have suffered assault

Two out of five nurses have been assaulted at work in the last three years but fewer than one in 20 have received support from the NHS in pressing charges against their attackers. The results come from a survey carried out by the Nursing Times which also shows that just one in 10 staff was offered counselling after the incident.

Public services union UNISON said: " We continue to be concerned that assaults on staff are not taken seriously and that NHS trusts and the criminal justice system are not dealing with aggressors adequately. A recent suggestion that the government is considering legislation that treats assaults on health workers as the same as those on the police - as demanded by UNISON for many years - is to be welcomed."