Independent Nurse: Fall in assaults on NHS staff is 'tiny'.

The rate of assaults on NHS staff in England is still too high despite a slight fall in 2008/9, NHS leaders say.

A total of 54,758 assaults on NHS staff occurred in 2008/9, 1,235 fewer than the year before. Some 3,472 of them were against staff employed by PCTs. The vast majority, 38,958, occurred in the mental health and learning disability sectors, however.

Unison head of health Karen Jennings said the reduction in attacks was 'tiny'. 'We need more sanctions and a national system put in place for reporting assaults,' she said.

'Staff need to know …