AIREDALE Hospital staff have been subjected to 38 physical attacks while carrying out their work in the past year, we can reveal.

And following the release of the shocking figure, one union leader said some NHS workers now considered assaults to be "part and parcel" of the job.

"Hospital staff are there to help people not to be abused," said Gary Baker, regional organiser with the GMB, which has about 200 members at Airedale.

"Sadly there is a minority of people who feel it is acceptable to attack staff.

"Any abuse, physical or verbal, mustn't be tolerated and we urge all employees to report it.

"We will give full support to members who come forward."

Keighley MP John Grogan said it was a "sad truth" that over the course of their career, most NHS staff could expect to be a victim of assault.

He added that until last month, an organisation called NHS Protect – as part of its role – advised hospital trusts on how to minimise violence against staff, but it has now been disbanded.

"When Parliament returns after the summer recess I will ask the Government if any alternative arrangements are going to be made," he said.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust said the figure, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, covered all types of recorded physical assault.

The number was on a par with the previous 12 months.

Jill Asbury, the trust's director of nursing, said: "We have a zero-tolerance policy for any assaults against our hard-working, committed staff.

"They are here to help and care for our patients, not to be attacked or abused.

"Some of the incidents involve patients without capacity, for example with advanced dementia. These incidents are clearly no-one's fault and in these cases we work closely with their carers to understand how best to assist the patients."

She said that to help protect employees, there were CCTV cameras and security staff – who have undergone control and restraint training – on-site.

Also, conflict resolution training is provided to workers.

"If our staff are assaulted they are encouraged to report it so that appropriate support can be given," she added.

"But our message is clear – violence against our staff is completely unacceptable."

Meanwhile, Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust – which provides mental health, community and learning disability services across the area – has recorded 571 physical attacks on its staff in the past year, a rise of 21 on the previous 12 months.

At the Airedale Centre for Mental Health, which it operates, there were 61 attacks last year – down by eight on 2015-16.

A care trust spokesman said the safety of staff and patients was "always paramount".

"We take any form of physical or non-physical assault very seriously," he added.

"Staff are encouraged to report all types of incidents, regardless of how minor they feel they are.

"Our robust reporting structure ensures all incidents are analysed and control measures implemented.

"Our frontline staff are all trained in therapeutic intervention and conflict resolution techniques to try and offer understanding and support and to prevent these situations from escalating, or arising.

"We also support people with challenging behaviour.

"We've seen a reduction in the number of incidents at Airedale Centre for Mental Health and the majority of those which did occur were minor.

"We work closely with service users and carers through our patient advice and complaints team to listen to concerns and understand what can lead to aggression."