One of the saddest indictments of our times comes via comments from Gavin Anderson, manager of the Accident and Emergency unit at Airedale Hospital.

Mr Anderson, who is also a senior nurse, says people don't seem to have the same kind of respect that they used to have for nurses and doctors.

He was speaking after the Royal College of Nursing revealed the results of a survey which suggested 80 per cent of nurses in A&E departments nationally had reported harassment or an assault in the past year. More than one in four of the nurses surveyed said they had been physically attacked.

The details were released as Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt outlined a zero tolerance approach to the problem of violence against NHS staff.

Just what is the main plank of this approach? To fine people £1,000 if they assault or threaten nurses.

Yet another useless sticking plaster over an old wound. The basic laws of this country are already in place to cover violence.

Hospitals are doing all they can to protect staff and have every right to look to the Government for a solution.

In fairness there is no easy quick-fix answer to the issue. Using the law is a way forward and there has been a 15-fold increase in prosecutions for attacks on NHS staff.

But buzz words are not going to stop our nurses, doctors and other caring staff from being bashed, nor are wishy-washy spin-doctored pronouncements that grab headlines but have little or no substance.

This newspaper has said it before and has no hesitation in saying it again -- if and when cases of violence against NHS staff are brought to our attention they will grab the headlines. Everyone in the area will then at least know the names of the cowardly thugs who are prepared to repay kindness with a fist.

The plight of the nurses is not being helped either by the reported increase in workplace bullying and harassment revealed in the RCN survey. In many ways that situation is as bad as if not worse than the violence they face.

You don't need to be a brain surgeon to work out if these issues are tackled then perhaps more people will come back into nursing.