A ward sister who has worked at Dorset County Hospital for three-and-a-half years said she had been subjected to physical and verbal abuse.

She said that on occasions the perpetrator might not be aware of their actions due to medication or medical conditions such as dementia.

The sister, who did not wish to be named, added: “There have been incidents where members of staff have been assaulted or verbally abused.

“This normally involves those who are either under the influence of alcohol, drugs or are just abusive by nature.

“We make it clear that we will not tolerate this type of behaviour.”

The sister said the Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust has procedures in place to respond to verbal abuse and in more severe cases the security staff and police become involved.

She said: “I would not like to paint a picture of our staff members being attacked morning noon and night, but nonetheless an assault is an assault and it does happen.

“We deal with this verbal or physical abuse as swiftly as possible.

“We are supported by our porter/security staff who do an excellent job and always make their best effort to get there as quick as possible when the call goes out.

“The police are only just round the corner and respond to our calls with the utmost urgency, which in most cases prevents any form of violence from escalating.”

She added that staff were trained in conflict resolution.