MORE than 120 NHS staff in Wigan and Leigh were victims of physical assaults at work.

The figures for 2014-2015 were released by all the NHS trusts in England and collated by NHS Protect.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust recorded 113 physical assaults from April 2014 to March 2015, whereas Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust reported 15.

Of the attacks reported in Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh, 108 were assaults involving medical factors where the patient did not know what they were doing, or did not know what they were doing was wrong due to medical illness, severe learning disability or due to treatment administered.

In Bridgewater 14 of the 15 attacks were due to medical factors.

There have been 67,864 reported physical assaults against NHS staff in England in 2014-15, a small reduction of 819 from 68,683 in 2013-14.

Criminal sanctions for reported assaults increased slightly in 2014-15 period to 1,679, up by 30 from 1,649 in 2013-14, and have increased noticeably since the pre-2004 period.

In Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh hospital two criminal sanctions were carried out which include; cautions, rehabilitation or punishment orders, conditional discharges, fines, fixed penalty notices and imprisonment.

In Bridgewater, one criminal sanction was given.

It is the first year that civil and administrative sanctions have been reported which include; acceptable behaviour agreements, banning from premises, harassment warnings issue, injunctions and warning letters.

Bridgewater Trust reported one civil sanction and Wrightington Trust reported three.

Richard Hampton, Head of External Engagement and Services at NHS Protect, said today: “No NHS staff should be physically assaulted and we encourage staff who are victims of violence to report it, so that appropriate action can be taken.

“While it is encouraging to see the total figure going in the right direction there is no room for complacency after this small reduction in reported assaults.

“We urge all health bodies, in all sectors, to take advantage of the joint working agreement with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

“They can build local arrangements on this national agreement to ensure criminal assaults are identified and do not go unpunished.”