NHS staff working in Oxfordshire’s hospitals, GP surgeries and mental health trusts suffered 1,033 assaults over the last year, new figures show today.

Employees working at Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust had the highest number of physical assaults, with 524 reported between April 2008 and March 2009.

However the Oxfordshire Learning Disability NHS Trust suffered the highest proportion of assaults, with 365 reported by its 1,213 staff, meaning that 301 assaults were made against per 1,000 members of staff.

The figures released by NHS security management services showed staff belonging to the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the John Radcliffe Hospital, had 89 assaults.

Over the same period, staff at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre recorded 37 assaults and Oxfordshire PCT, which runs GP surgeries, 18.

South Central Ambulance Service recorded 35 assaults.