HOSPITAL bosses are taking action to prevent staff being attacked and abused.

NHS Staff Survey figures show that one in six respondents from the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen experienced bullying, harassment or abuse last year.

Chief executive Mark Brandreth said: "Bullying, harassment and abuse in the workplace is absolutely unacceptable, whether that’s from another member of staff or patients, their relatives or members of the public.

"Overall, incidents of bullying, harassment and abuse are low but we need to continue to work at making further improvements to ensure none of our staff suffer at work."

Of around 580 respondents, 16 per cent of respondents said they had experienced bullying, harassment or abuse from patients, relatives or members of the public in 2017.

A further 25 per cent said they had been verbally abused or harassed by a fellow member of staff.

The survey, which also asked workers about incidents of physical violence at work.

The survey revealed that around one in 20 respondents had been subjected to violence from patients, relatives or members of the public.

Mr Brandreth added: “In the last couple of years, we have been working hard here at RJAH to improve the culture of the trust, to ensure honesty and openness to foster an environment where staff have the confidence to speak up about concerns.”

Meanwhile, one in five of respondents at the Shropshire Community Health Trust (ShropComm) said they had experienced bullying, harassment or abuse from patients, relatives or members of the public in 2017.

A further 15 per cent said they had been verbally abused or harassed by a fellow member of staff.

Around 740 employees responded to the survey, which also asked workers about incidents of physical violence at work.

One in 14 respondents said that they had experienced physical violence from patients, relatives or members of the public.

Chief executive Jan Ditheridge said: "We are committed to a zero tolerance to bullying in our organisation. Our Staff Survey results tell us that problems with bullying and harassment are consistently among the lowest in the country when compared with other community trusts.

“However, there is no room for complacency and we are committed to eradicating any form of bullying or harassment within the workplace."

From around 2,370 respondents, 26 per cent from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) experienced bullying, harassment or abuse last year.

One in eight respondents said that they had experienced physical violence from patients, relatives or the public.

Julia Clarke, SaTH's director of corporate governance, said: “All NHS staff deserve to be able to go about their duties without fear of aggression – verbal or physical.

"Anyone who behaves anti-socially should be warned that it will not be tolerated. It could result in prosecution, or the risk of non-urgent treatment being stopped.”

Health secretary Matt Hancock has introduced the first NHS Violence Reduction Strategy, a series of measures designed to safeguard NHS workers against deliberate attacks and abuse.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that the NHS was partnering with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute offenders quickly under a "zero-tolerance" approach.

The Care Quality Commission will scrutinise individual trusts based on their plans to reduce violence against staff and identify those that need further help.

The plans follow the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act earlier this year, which doubled the maximum prison sentence for assaulting an emergency worker from six months to a year.