Attacks against hospital staff are rising in the U.K. Britain's health service says violent assaults increased by six per cent in the past year. There were 63,199 attacks in 2012-13. That's over 173 every day. Unions say these figures do not tell the whole story. A spokeswoman said: "Sadly, this is only the tip of the iceberg as violence…remains an under-reported problem." She said government cuts were making patients feel more frustrated.

Britain's Health Minister condemned the attacks. He said any abuse was "totally unacceptable" and would not be tolerated. He said it was outrageous that there were so many physical assaults. He said there were ways to keep violence out of hospitals. Hospitals can remove people who do not need treatment and prosecute them if they do not leave. The support group NHS Protect said staff should work in a safe environment, "free from violence and physical assault".