A&E staff safety reviewed after attacks

A review of safety procedures in the Noble's Hospital Accident and Emergency department is currently underway.

All staff are being issued with personal alarms, panic buttons are being installed and there are plans to upgrade the CCTV system.

It follows the conviction of a patient at A&E last year who attacked two members of staff while experiencing drug induced hallucinations.

Health officials stress violence and aggression against staff will always be taken seriously.

There is a detailed policy about how such incidents will be dealt with and staff are fully trained in control and restraint techniques.

Despite the recent conviction, Nobles still has has one of the lowest rates of violence against staff when compared to acute hospitals in England, with 16 cases of physical assault recorded between April 2012 and March 2013, three of which were in A&E.

The majority of those involved elderly patients some who were suffering dementia.