Thousands of NHS Tayside and Fife staff have been assaulted at work, it has been revealed.
During 2012, 744 staff suffered violence at work in Tayside compared to 618 in 2010. In Fife figures ranged from 702 in 2009/10 to 769 in 2011/12, the most recent full year recorded. The number of attacks fell Scotland-wide.
More than £1 million has been spent by the Scottish Government to try to reduce the incidences of violence against staff through the Working Well Challenge Fund, with NHS Tayside receiving around £180,000 and NHS Fife £94,000.
Labour MSP Dr Richard Simpson said: “We need to ask if longer waiting times, particularly in A&E, fewer beds and fewer nurses are a combination which increases the risk to staff.”
Liz Smith, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said: “It is totally unacceptable that NHS staff are subjected to this when they are trying to help patients.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The number of attacks against staff is falling and more people than ever before are being convicted under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005, with the penalty up to 12 months’ imprisonment, a £10,000 fine or both.
“However, any attack is unacceptable. Our NHS staff should absolutely be safe in their jobs and no one should receive abuse at work.”
Spokeswomen for NHS Tayside and Fife both said the health boards have a “very strict zero tolerance policy” against abuse.