A DOCTOR at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital's accident and emergency department was trapped in a room and attacked by a patient with a pair of crutches.

The incident last weekend follows a recent assault in the same department, when a staff nurse was kicked in the abdomen by a patient with mental health problems.

Last year there were 171 reported attacks and 139 incidents of verbal abuse against staff at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Foundation Trust, a rise from the previous year's 118 and 115.

Twenty-one patients were also assaulted by other patients, more than double the previous year's figure. Eight patients suffered verbal abuse.

A&E senior sister Cathy Lakin said: "Staff in emergency care are in the line of fire when it comes to violence and aggression because the A&E department is, for many, the first point of contact at the hospital.

"Violence is frequently exacerbated by the use of alcohol or drugs, or simply due to the fact that a patient is attending with an emergency which they may be very worried about.

"Their friends and relatives are also concerned, and this has the potential to make people very frustrated, often displayed as aggression."

She added that staff in emergency departments were given training in dealing with conflict and have support from in-house security and the police.

Clinical governance manager Joanne Sims said: "The foundation trust takes any form of abuse against its staff extremely seriously and will not tolerate this type of behaviour. We work very closely in partnership with Dorset Police issuing warning letters to offenders and supporting the use of antisocial behaviour orders, injunctions and further prosecutions."

At Poole Hospital, there were 17 attacks on staff and 168 incidents of verbal abuse last year. Director of nursing Martin Smits warned: "We will not tolerate it if patients, relatives and visitors threaten or injure our staff or other patients. If they persist, we will bar them from all but emergency treatment. We work closely with the police and we are grateful for their continuing support."