Call to protect health workers

The BMA wants widespread protection measures

All health care staff should receive legal protection against violent patients and their families, doctors have insisted.

It follows moves to make it a specific offence to assault emergency workers.

This would give staff ranging from accident and emergency workers to mountain rescue teams the same protection from violence as the police.

But the British Medical Association (BMA) said all health care workers should be given the same protection.

BMA Scottish council chairman John Garner said: "We understand that those working on the frontline such as in A&E departments may be particularly at risk.

"But health care workers in any setting can be at risk of violence, not just from patients but from relatives as well."

Dr Garner said the existing protection of healthcare staff under common law was not sufficient.

He added: "We believe all health care workers should be treated equally, regardless of where they are working, and given full and tough protection under law."