Kent nurses dealt with more than 6,000 cases of inappropriate or aggressive behaviour in hospitals last year.

According to figures, published by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), there were typically 99 aggressive outbursts towards staff per month in 2017.

Staff have taken more than 150 days off work due to injuries from patient violence - on average 12 days per incident.

Patients, admitted to KMPT’s mental health or social care facilities, have also caused damage to buildings 494 times by throwing or punching objects out of frustration and anger.

Mary Mumvuri, the executive for Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust in charge of nursing, said: “Over the past five to six years, the total number of reported physical assaults in the NHS has risen.

“However, in KMPT, we have seen a decline in physical assaults with our figures consistently coming down.

“This reduction is positive but we would like to see no violent behaviour at all - this is one of our priorities.”

To lessen the level of violence in the centres, clinical staff are receiving special training, supporting each other in ‘safety huddles’ where they meet to discuss risks of violence.

Ms Mumvuri wrote in her report, presented at the KMPT trust board meeting on January 25: “It is recognised that there is no singular intervention to reduce violence within mental health services; this can only be achieved through a multi-faceted integrated organisational approach.”

Staff at St Martin's hospital in Canterbury have piloted Positive Behavioural Support Plans - a list of strategies to help cope with challenging behaviour.

Nurses are also working closely with the police.

Every time a member of staff has been a victim of patient violence, the head of HR has been automatically notified if there are incidents of violence and writes to all affected.

A spokesperson for KMPT said: “Our director of workforce and organisational development, Sandra Goatley, writes to any staff who have been assaulted.

“In her letter Sandra says how sorry she is that this has happened to them, enquires about their welfare and asks if there is any further support she or her team can give.

“She also asks the member of staff as to whether they’ve got any suggestions as to what if anything could have been done differently.

“Feedback from staff is that they are pleased that the director of workforce and organisational development knows about the situation and cares enough to write a personal letter.”