Readers show support for hard-working staff

Ann McCartney Kirsten McLean with Harper George Brannan James Reid Outrage at number of NHS attacks

Protect nurses It’s terrible Shocked at figures Show them the door

Last week’s front page story on the number of attacks on hard working staff at University Hospital Wishaw angered many of our readers.

Our exclusive figures, obtained by this newspaper through a Freedom of Information request, revealed that staff at the hospital are twice as likely to be attacked or abused at work than those at Lanarkshire’s other two main hospitals Hairmyres and Monklands.

The official figures show hard-working staff at Wishaw were assaulted by patients on 218 occasions. That figure dwarves the 103 attacks at Monklands and the 118 reported at Hairmyres.

We took to the streets of Wishaw to find out what our readers thought of the figures.

Ann McCartney said: “Nurses need to be protected when they are working. We have to make sure this doesn’t happen.”

George Brannan admitted he was shocked at the figures.

“I didn’t think they would be as high as that,” said George. “We have to be a lot tougher on these people.” Kirsten McLean, pictured with her friend’s daughter Harper, added: “I think it’s terrible. I know people who work there.

“You wouldn’t think that would happen with the hospital just being down the road.”

Finally, James Reid said: “Patients shouldn’t be doing that.

“The hospital is there to help people and if people step out of line they should be shown the door.”