SOUTHAMPTON hospital chiefs have launched a crack-down on the tide of violent attacks against staff.

New statistics obtained by the Daily Echo reveal that there were 140 physical and verbal assaults on Southampton hospital staff in the first five months of this year.

Security has now been stepped up in the Accident and Emergency Department and staff are offered financial aid to fund legal action against their attackers.

Security manager Terry Morris said: "I'm horrified that these statistics are still so high.

"It makes me very angry that my staff are having to put up with this degree of physical and verbal abuse.

"All they're trying to do is treat patients to the best of their ability.

"We've got to direct a lot of revenue to protecting staff and patients - money which could be better spent on treating people."

The figures are set to overtake last year's total of 319 incidents, despite government calls for a 20 per cent reduction in attacks.

This year's catalogue of aggression towards staff includes:

l Assault causing injury - 24 l Assault without injury - 23 l Verbal abuse/threats - 56 l Violent in-patient - 28 l Violent out-patient - 9

Mr Morris said his security team, backed by the Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust, was determined to crack down on the attacks.

He added: "We will not tolerate this level of violence on our staff. We have helped design the new A&E department to make it more secure.

"We also encourage staff to report every incident, and offer counselling as well as financial help where necessary to bring the attackers to justice."

Helen Rush, a 30-year-old senior sister at the hospital's A&E department, was subject to threatening abuse earlier this year, as well as a string of malicious phone calls.

The culprit was eventually arrested and jailed for three months after she found the courage to report the incidents.

She said: "I've been in the profession for eight years and the level of aggression is a lot higher than it was.

"The fear of physical assault is greater than it has ever been. We call for security guards a lot sooner than we would have done in the past.

"Patient expectations are different to what we can achieve. They're often angry about the length of time they have to wait."

"We are the front door of the hospital and we are the first people they're going to share their disappointment with.

"But we shouldn't have to put up with any kind of abuse. Any level of acceptance of violence is wrong. Luckily the trust has a zero tolerance policy about these incidents."

Unison branch secretary John Brear said: "We are aware of it as a problem and it's one which concerns both trusts in Southampton.

"It's something that has to be looked at very seriously and addressed immediately."

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