(2) how many hospital staff in England were hospitalised as a result of assault while on duty in each of the last three years.
Since 2004-05, the NHS Security Management Service has collected information on the number of physical assaults reported against national health service staff in England.
Information on the number of assaults against accident and emergency staff and on how many hospital staff have been hospitalised as a result of assault while on duty is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The numbers of reported physical assaults in acute and foundation trusts in the last three years for which information is available are shown in the following table:
Number 2004-05 10,758 2005-06 11,100 2006-07 9,685