Walking sticks, bedside remote controls and call alarms have been used to attack doctors and nurses working on hospital wards.

The improvised weapons were among the hundreds of physical assaults and verbal threats made by patients and relatives on front-line staff every year.

Other incidents involved workers being attacked with needles and knives and having items including books and mobile phones thrown at them.

Others were left with injuries including bruises, scratches, concussion and broken ribs caused by punches, grabs and kicks.

Unions branded the figures disturbing and called for better protection for hospital workers.

Hospitals across Sussex released details following a Freedom of Information request from The Argus.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, reported 144 physical assaults over a 12 month period.

There were 249 verbal threats face-to-face, attempted assaults and abusive phone calls.

Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worthing Hospital and St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, reported 157 assaults and 187 cases of verbal abuse.

Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards reported 149 physical attacks and 131 cases of threatening behaviour, which included verbal abuse.

A Brighton and Sussex Trust spokeswoman said: “We take very seriously our responsibility to provide an environment that is safe for staff, patients and visitors.

“We have an ongoing programme of providing all staff who have direct contact with patients or the public training in conflict resolution techniques which are intended to remind staff of the reasons people may become aggressive and how to try and deal with this before it escalates too far.

"People in hospital can become violent for a whole range of reasons and of course we would treat very differently a patient who has become aggressive due to their medical condition, a frightened or bereaved relative or someone who becomes violent when under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“However, each incidence of violence is fully investigated and where a crime or assault has been committed we always get the police involved and pursue prosecution whenever this is appropriate."

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