SECURITY has been stepped up at the Royal Bolton Hospital after an increase in attacks on staff.

There were 122 incidents - ranging from staff being punched to others being threatened with violence - on wards, corridors and offices throughout the hospital last year.

And it was revealed that nurses are leaving the National Health Service because of the abuse.

Extra security guards, wearing protective vests to protect them against stab attacks, patrolled the premises and grounds this afternoon as a spokesman for the hospital warned: "We simply will not tolerate members of the public behaving in any sort of abusive and violent manner."

Bolton police chiefs, solicitors from the Crown Prosecution Service and representatives from the Royal Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust met yesterday to draw up plans to deal with the rowdy patients and visitors who are making the lives of medical staff, administrative officers and porters a misery.

Of the 122 cases of verbal and physical abuse at the Royal Bolton Hospital last year, 21 occurred in the accident and emergency department.

The head of Bolton Police, Chief Supt Dave Lea, said: "Violence and abuse against health professionals simply will not be tolerated.

"We are determined to stamp out any poor behaviour against NS staff and will prosecute members of the public who behave in such a manner.

"We are working in partnership to eradicate violence in Bolton's health services and to ensure a safe working environment for all staff."

The hospital is in the process of training up all its 2,500 staff to handle conflict and abuse. All will be trained by 2008.

There is a police base in the accident and emergency department, which has been there since 2002, ensuring police can investigate serious incidents promptly.

Security guards at the hospital have increased and have all been issued with stab vests in case of an attack.

Janet Hackin, a sister in the accident and emergency department, said: "Abuse happens on a regular basis and it has progressively got worse over the years. Nurses are leaving the NS because of it. It affects us all when we are abused in whatever form and it certainly affects morale.

"We come to work to care for people and should be able to work in a safe environment."

Lead clinician Dr Chris Moulton said: "At the end of the day we can't give care to a patient if we are being assaulted or verbally abused by them. There are also other patients to consider. It's no good sitting in a waiting room with young children while there's someone around being abusive. It's not fair to anyone."

In 2001 the hospital was successful in prosecuting a patient who assaulted a doctor in the accident and emergency department.

Heather Edwards, head of communications at the Royal Bolton Hospital, said: "Our staff are here to help and we simply will not tolerate members of the public behaving in any sort of abusive and violent manner towards them, whether they work on reception or are nurses on the wards or in the accident and emergency department.

"We are delighted that the police and CPS are publicly demonstrating their commitment towards supporting NS staff in the move to reduce violence."

Figures were announced this week that showed staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital were among the worst 20 per cent in the country for suffering from harassment, bullying and abuse from patients and their relatives.

Of the 594 who completed the questionnaire, sent out by the Healthcare Commission, 31 per cent said they had suffered from some sort of abuse.

The hospital has a stringent policy of encouraging all staff to report all incidents, which are then investigated.