HOSPITAL chiefs have spoken out after a string of attacks on staff at Fairfield General in recent weeks.

Doctors, nurses and consultants at the Bury hospital have been subject to assaults and racist abuse - despite the added pressures of the ongoing pandemic.

One man has been jailed and another given a suspended sentence after separate incidents on the wards.

And the head of security for the North Alliance NHS Group, which runs Fairfield, says health officials will always back up staff facing violent conduct.

He told the Bury Times: “We always take any form of abuse towards our staff extremely seriously and, working in partnership with Greater Manchester Police, we will pursue criminal proceedings wherever necessary.

“Our colleagues on the frontline come to work each day to look after people and to save lives. They do not expect to be attacked by the very people they are there to help.

“Over the past few months in particular, our NHS staff have been coping with unimaginable pressures and we will continue with our zero tolerance approach to ensure that they are treated with the respect that they quite rightly deserve.”

In one incident, involving a drunk, Steven Coundley, a doctor, Vaibhav Gulati was assaulted, as well as consultant Mark Richardson-Riley, while their attacker hurled racial abuse.

Coundley also assaulted a police constable, Zack Armstead, who came to maintain order and was jailed for 26 weeks.

Manchester magistrates imposed the sentence for the “appalling offences against medical staff” while they were performing their public duties.

He had pleaded guilty to assaults and racially aggravated harassment. He was also ordered him to pay £50 compensation to each of his three victims.

Last week the same court had also dealt with problem drinker Carl Trousdale, who had also kicked off at the hospital. He hurled drunken abuse at staff during an outburst on May 26.

Trousdale, 37, of Roman Road, Prestwich admitted to using threatening behaviour to a ward sister and nurse, assaulting a ward sister and harassing two security guards and was given a suspended sentence and an alcohol treatment condition.