EMERGENCY services staff in Oldham are facing unacceptable levels of violence and aggression in the course of their jobs.

Figures obtained by The Advertiser under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) reveal almost 1,100 recorded assaults in the last five years.

That means 250 NHS staff, such as nurses, doctors and paramedics, police and fire fighters, are punched, kicked or verbally abused each year. And, it is thought, the figure could actually be much higher with many incidents going unreported.

Attacks often leave victims traumatised, injured and unable to work, putting even more stress on front-line services.

Trade unions and police, fire and health chiefs have this week roundly condemned the abuse and called for stronger penalties for offenders.

Half of all attacks in the borough concern NHS staff, with 189 assaults on doctors and nurses at the Royal Oldham alone since 2003.

During the same period there have been 417 attacks on staff working for Oldham Primary Care Trust at health centres and doctors’ surgeries.

Paramedics attending emergency calls across Greater Manchester have been attacked 1,255 times in the past three years, including the shocking case of Leonard Hilton, the 44-year-old from Oldham who threatened to kill two paramedics with a knife as he kept them hostage when they were called to his house on Vale Drive on September 30.

Lorraine Dunlop is based at Oldham Ambulance Station, in Crofton Street, and has worked on the front line for 18 years.

The 47-year-old has been verbally abused, threatened and attacked, and incidents are becoming more prevalent.

She said: "I’ve been hit by a chair while trying to treat someone,. I’ve even had my life threatened in the back of an ambulance by someone who said they had a gun and was going to shoot me. Verbal abuse is more prominent and incidents are normally drink-related. We just want to be able to do our job and go home safe at the end of a shift."

Last year, some progress was made to protect workers under the Emergency Services Obstruction Act (2006), which made obstructing any emergency service crew punishable with a fine of up to £5,000.

But UNISON, the UK’s largest health union, wants a tougher approach. It is calling for double the prosecutions and more jail sentences.

Stephanie Thomas, of UNISON, said: "What sort of injury do we have to wait for before tough action is taken against violent offenders?  Zero tolerance should mean zero tolerance. It is terrifying for patients and staff to be embroiled in the sort of violence and aggression that goes on in A&E departments on an average Saturday night."

Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust – which runs the Royal Oldham – has also called for automatic custodial sentences for those convicted of assaulting its employees.

"No staff should be abused whilst they are trying to help people, they have a right to do their job without the threat ofviolence or intimidation," a spokesman said.

Unison also wants more security staff working in A&E, more CCTV and alarms, and better co-ordination between police and ambulance staff to flag up dangerous patients, areas and situations. It also wants safety features built into hospitals and wards.

Conflict resolution training is already given to staff and CCTV is in most health centres and buildings, said Shauna Dixon, director of clinical leadership for NHS Oldham.

Oldham PCT is also piloting new ‘Lone Worker’ devices, where staff can send a signal to security by pressing their identity tag.

It is not just health workers who brave the weekly gauntlet of violence and abuse – Oldham police officers, PCSOs and even civilian staff who work at stations are said to be facing a daily threat.

Since 2004 there have been 367 attacks, including 10 serious assaults resulting in officers being taken from duty.

Oldham’s Chief Supt Caroline Ball said although police officers, PCSOs and special constables understand that they have a potentially dangerous occupation, assaults are unacceptable.

A startling rise in assaults on police officers across Greater Manchester has seen the force call for violent suspects to be shackled using controversial ‘legcuffs’, which prevent unruly suspects from lashing out with their feet and legs.

Most attacks on police officers are prosecuted, with 35-year-old Lee Dale, of Pine Tree Road, Limeside, in court just last week for assaulting a policeman on September 14. He received a 35-day suspended prison sentence.

Meanwhile, since 2005, fire crews at Oldham, Hollins and Chadderton have suffered 69 assaults on staff and engines, as well as verbal abuse and missiles being thrown at staff as they attend emergency calls.

A spokesman at Chadderton said that throughout the past year they have been attacked almost weekly while attending calls to Westwood.

In the summer yobs threw bricks and trolleys at crews and even threatened to kill them. On Bonfire Night there were two attempts to ambush fire engines as they responded to calls.

Geoff Harris, Oldham borough commander for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and Chief Supt Ball both pointed out that the ultimate losers are the public, as their ability to fulfil their role is being hindered.

"Fire fighters – like the police – spend their time protecting the public’s safety," said Mr Harris. "If a fire fighter or police officer is injured, or an engine is damaged, the risk to everyone is increased."