The Conservatives have called for patients who behave aggressively towards NHS staff to be barred from receiving further treatment after it emerged workers at a health board suffer more than five attacks every day.
The number of assaults on NHS Lothian employees in the past four months alone is greater than the total number of attacks for 2009/10, and is increasing year on year.
Data released under freedom of information revealed that in April and July, 645 NHS workers, not including paramedics and staff at GP surgeries, have been attacked by patients –averaging more than five a day.
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