One in four medics have suffered abuse

One in four NHS medics have suffered harassment, bullying or threats from patients and their relatives.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt will give details of the "zero tolerance" approach to the problem at a GMB union conference in Nottingham on Tuesday.

She will say the measures are being considered in a bid to "send a clear message" threats will not be tolerated.

It is a sad fact around one in four of our nurses and doctors have suffered verbal abuse and been threatened by patients or relatives that they are trying to help Department of Health

The most recent Healthcare Commission staff survey reported that 14% of NHS staff were physically attacked in 2004.

A further 27% of staff reported being bullied or harassed by patients or their relatives.

The results represented a small reduction from 15% and 28% respectively the previous year.

More prosecutions

Since the establishment of the NHS Security Management Service in 2003 there has been a 15-fold increase in the number of people prosecuted for attacking NHS staff.

During 2004-05 there were 759 prosecutions compared with 51 cases in 2002-03.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "It is a sad fact around one in four of our nurses and doctors have suffered verbal abuse and been threatened by patients or relatives that they are trying to help.

"We want to send a clear message to the public that this will not be tolerated and anyone who threatens or verbally abuses our staff will be removed from the premises and could face a fine of up to �1,000."

Sheelagh Brewer, an employment relations specialist at the Royal College Of Nursing, welcomed the proposals.

She told the BBC News website: "This is a very serious problem, particularly in areas like Accident and Emergency where we know levels of abuse are high."

And a spokeswoman for the British Medical Association said doctors supported the move.

"No-one working in a hospital or GP practice should have to put up with the threat of physical or verbal abuse.