Knife thugs have terrorised 440 hospital workers in the past five years

KNIFE thugs have terrorised 440 hospital workers in the past five years, a Sun on Sunday investigation reveals.

It means an average ten staffers at every NHS trust have been threatened or attacked with blades.

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Knife thugs have terrorised 440 hospital workers in the past five years, a Sun on Sunday investigation reveals[/caption]

In total 3,500 employees and visitors have needed treatment after being assaulted in hospitals since 2013.

Cops have been called out 9,500 times to deal with brutal behaviour, the Freedom of Information data shows.

Worst outside London is Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust — location for ITV crime drama The Bay —  where there were almost 1,200 attacks on staff, with 391 causing injury.

Morecambe and Lunesdale Tory MP David Morris said: “It is disgraceful that doctors and nurses who do so much to deal with injuries caused by knife crime are at risk of becoming victims  themselves.”

Stab victim Stephen Timms said the stats were “truly shocking”.

The Labour MP, who sits on the Sun on Sunday’s knife crime task force, added: “Ministers need to  act fast.”