Basildon Hospital is hiring its own team of security guards to tackle a rising number of violent assaults on staff.

Until now, an outside contractor has provided security personnel to patrol the hospital and guard the maternity and accident & emergency units.

The new team will wear smart blazers and slacks, ditching the more traditional black cap uniform.

A hospital spokesman said hiring its own team of guards makes financial sense and would allow the hospital to increase its security cover.

She explained: "Sometimes, particularly in A&E, there are cases of violence but often it's the threat of violence or the potential for it.

"In order to protect staff and make them safe there is a need to have a security presence. Staff in A&E have to deal with a lot of alcohol and violence-related incidents.

"When fights break out in the town centre and the people involved are brought to A&E, sometimes the fights continue."

Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust has consistently increased its security over the past four or five years.

In 1994 it employed a full time security risk manager to give advice on how to make Basildon and Orsett hospitals safer from crime.

Since that time the trust has spent £45,000 a year on improving lighting in car parks, creating controlled access using security ID cards and installing CCTV.

The spokesman added: "Property crime and car theft has now been reduced significantly but reported incidents of abuse towards persons and violence has increased.

"The reason for that increase is unclear. There has been much publicity about violence in hospitals and that could encourage staff to come forward and report incidents."

Following the abduction of baby Karli Hawthorne from Basildon Hospital in December 1997, both internal and independent inquiries were carried out.

Neither of the reports was critical of the existing security measures at the hospital and recommendations, such as restricting visiting hours to the maternity unit, have now been put into practice.

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