STAFF at the Royal Bolton Hospital claim they are suffering from high levels of bullying and abuse from patients and their relatives.

Almost a third of staff working at the hospital who replied to a survey say they have been at the receiving end of some form of harassment.

It puts the Royal Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust among the worst 20 per cent in the country for harassment, bullying or abuse from patients and their families.

The figures were announced by the Healthcare Commission, which carried out a nationwide survey into the conditions faced by hospital staff.

The 12-page survey was completed by 594 of the 1,018 staff who were sent the questionnaire.

A total of 31 per cent of Royal Bolton Hospital staff who filled in the questionnaire - 184 of them - said they had been abused. Nationally, the average was 27 per cent.

The abuse was mostly verbal, although incidents of physical abuse were also reported. The incidents took place in accident and emergency and in other wards at the hospital. Lynne Tennant, deputy director of human resources, said: "It's a very sad reflection on society today that so many staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital have suffered harassment or abuse from patients and their relatives.

"The Trust has a number of strategies to deal with such behaviour, but it is not acceptable to treat in such a manner staff who are here to help.

"The views of our staff are very important to us. Well be working with them to build on our strengths and developing an action plan to address any weaknesses."

The hospital already has a stringent policy of reporting all incidents of abuse, which are then investigated.

In the accident and emergency department, there is a base for police officers so they can attend and deal with serious incidents.

In Bolton, 59 per cent of hospital staff responded to the survey. The average response rate across the country was 55 per cent.

The survey was first carried out in 2003, when 64 per cent of Royal Bolton Hospital staff responded.