THE number of doctors and nurses being abused by drunken patients in the Royal Bolton Hospital accident and emergency department has reached a record high.

From the beginning of January to the end of August, staff working in casualty reported 160 verbal or physical attacks by patients who had been drinking - the largest ever in an eight-month period.

These range from being screamed and sworn at to being punched, bitten or kicked.

Casualty bosses are now appealing for people to drastically change their drinking habits after revealing the struggle they face when people come into the hospital drunk.

Matron of the accident and emergency and the medical assessment unit, Janet Hackin, said: "This is certainly not a problem isolated to Bolton. It's going on all over the country.

"The wounds will heal, but it's the psychological trauma staff go through. They are here to try to give an excellent service, but violent or abusive incidents prevent them from doing this in certain cases."

The hospital has introduced measures designed to protect staff. Security guards are present in casualty and other areas of the hospital, with an increased presence during weekends and evenings.

CCTV has been introduced and hospital departments and grounds are patrolled regularly by a police officer. There is also a police incident room in accident and emergency.

Staff are also encouraged to report any abuse they encounter while caring for patients.

Mrs Hackin said: "We recognise this isn't just a hospital problem and needs all agencies to work together to try to eliminate it. There is a culture of binge drinking and we must accept it or let it become the norm, but unless we get to grips with the culture in our society then it will become normal."

Staff have also reported an increasing number of drunk women and young children coming into the hospital.

Children as young as 11 are being rushed to accident and emergency because they are getting so drunk, many losing consciousness because they have downed so much alcohol.

Mrs Hackin said: "Ten years ago, when I was based at Bolton Royal Infirmary, I saw a 13-year-old come into hospital unconscious through drink and it was awful, but it's happening more and more often now. I think every nurse has dealt with a youngster who is intoxicated. It's the culture these children are growing up in that we need to change. If they are starting to drink at a younger age then the alcohol-related problems they could face in later life just don't bear thinking about."

The figures, which reveal how many youngsters attended casualty drunk between April 2003 and April 2004, show two 11-year-olds, one 12-year-old, seven 13-year-olds, seven 14-year-olds, 11 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old went to the Royal Bolton Hospital for treatment.

Of these, 20 per cent had to be admitted to children's wards because they were unconscious.