One in five staff working for Oxleas NHS Trust have experienced physical violence from patients, but the trust's boss says it is a national trend.

Oxleas helps mental health patients and gives them the time and space that they need when suffering.

However, new research has exposed just how difficult it can be behind the scenes.

In the survey one in three respondents at the Oxleas trust said they had been verbally abused by patients or members of the public.

And one in five said they had been bullied or harassed by a fellow member of staff.

The Government has announced new measures to better protect health service staff in England, calling for a "zero tolerance" approach.

Matthew Trainer, chief executive at Oxleas, said: “We don’t tolerate physical or verbal abuse towards our staff at Oxleas.

“We all have the right to work in a safe and secure environment, free from physical or verbal abuse.

"NHS staff survey results showed that people who work for Oxleas are experiencing a rise in violence and aggression, which is sadly a national trend.”

However, new actions are being taken to look after NHS staff and they will now be provided with better training to deal with violent situations, and mental health support will be made available for victims of assault and abuse.