A SCHEME similar to one proposed by health secretary Alan Milburn was put in place by Blackburn health bosses more than a year ago.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn said this week he was 'sickened' by the tide of violence NHS staff were suffering.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Health Trust implemented a similar scheme more than 12 months ago.

In the past six months alone there have been 41 violent incidents. Around 70 per cent of those have occurred at Blackburn Royal Infirmary and the other 30 per cent at Queens Park Hospital.

Nurses have been punched and kicked and sexually harassed.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Trust site services manager at BRI, Ewen Dyda , said violence could break out anywhere in the hospital, not just in the battlefront accident and emergency department.

Alan Milburn said national guidance will be published later this year to help Trusts develop policies to ban patients from getting NHS treatment.

But Blackburn health bosses have had a similar scheme running for the past 12 months.

Mr Dyda said: "We have a scheme that if someone shows aggressive behaviour in any department then we send that person a letter warning them that their behaviour is not acceptable.