Chesterfield Royal Hospital launches crackdown on patient abuse

• Video report by Katie Oscroft

A hospital has revealed that a violent patient who bit a security guard had his treatment withdrawn for 12 months.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital released CCTV footage of security staff grappling with the man in a corridor after he became aggressive in June last year.

It comes as the hospital launched a crackdown on violence following a rise in incidents.

The hospital's chief executive Dr Hal Spencer said the majority of patients were civil, but the trust always reported incidents to police.

"In the worst cases it will result in our staff being unwell as a result because of stress and anxiety. You shouldn't come to work fearing for your safety," he said.

Senior nurse Lisa Blackwell, who has worked at the hospital for 15 years, has been punched, kicked, spat on and pushed.

"It's 24/7 that it's happening," she said. "And it's not a case of it being a young drunk man during the night - it can be a middle-aged woman.

"When I was spat on it was by a 16-year-old girl who wasn't under the influence of anything."

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said 14 incidents were reported last year and resulted in police action, ranging from community service to drug rehabilitation orders and even a prison sentence.

A staff survey revealed that 19% of staff had experienced physical violence at work.

They included Sister Emily Gledstone, who said she had been targeted several times but was most shocked by the first incident.

"A woman who was HIV positive threw her blood over me and said she wanted to poison me," she said.

"It affected me - I had time off work - and my family. I had to have tests. It was upsetting and it scared me."

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