Many attacks happen in accident and emergency departments

Doctors and nurses confirmed that attacks from patients are on the increase, and are becoming increasingly violent.

They have blamed drink and drugs for fuelling the problem and said they want to see wards made more secure, with the introduction of CCTV cameras.

The call came after Unison, Scotland's largest health care union, accused the Scottish Executive of complacency in its efforts to protect NHS staff.

Unison argued that not enough was being done to ensure workers' safety at a time when assaults were on the increase.

It said that doctors and nurses had been stabbed, head butted, sexually assaulted and threatened with guns this year and that such incidents were becoming more commonplace.

A busy accident and emergency ward out of hours can sometimes be a very scary place Dr Jason Long

Dr Jason Long, who works as a specialist registrar in a Glasgow hospital, agreed that violence in hospitals was a growing problem and revealed that he has been attacked numerous times in recent years.

"This has ranged from having a knife pulled on me and having a razor blade pulled on me to simple things such as being punched and kicked and spat on," he said.

"It is a very regular occurrence."

He gave the example of one instance where his colleagues had come under attack.

"During a reasonably busy night shift we had a patient who had some alcohol and was kicking and shouting at some of the staff," he said.

"While he was being treated he said he would pull a knife out on the staff if they didn't do what he was saying.

"That is the sort of thing that you have to put up with almost weekly to monthly."

I've been spat on, punched and kicked Margaret Lawson, nurse

He acknowledged that drink and drugs were a big part of the problem.

"People come in and feel that it is almost an excuse for this sort of behaviour, but of course it is not.

"Some people feel even without these things that they are able to subject staff to a lot of verbal and sometimes physical abuse.

"I feel that that is unacceptable and people should not have to have a torrent of abuse thrown at them.

"A busy accident and emergency ward out of hours can sometimes be a very scary place now, which probably was not the case a few years ago."

He added that people had greater expectations of the health service but less respect for staff.

Dr Long said staff needed more protection, such as CCTV cameras, more secure doors, better alarms and safer rooms.

He said that courts also needed to hand out stronger sentences as a deterrent.

His experiences of violence at work were shared by Margaret Lawson, and accident and emergency nurse.