Hospitals have seen a sharp rise in the number of people needing treatment after being injured in violent attacks, academics revealed today.

The number of assaults resulting in hospital treatment went up up almost seven per cent last year, according to Accident and Emergency data, and the number of women who going to hospital after being attacked went up by almost 10 per cent, the study showed.

The findings are likely to raise concerns about a rise in violent crime ahead of the publication of quarterly crime figures tomorrow.

Academics from Cardiff University collected data from 49 A&E departments in England and Wales – around a third of the total.

They found the total number of patients saying their injuries were not accidental was up by 6.6 per cent – the first annual increase since 2001.

If the pattern was repeated across the country, 21,000 more people in 2008 would have sought medical help after being assaulted – taking the total to more than 350,000.

But the data does not show whether there has been any increase at Shropshire’s two main hospitals – the Royal Shrewsbury and Telford’s Princess Royal.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust doesn’t have figures available.

Trust spokesman Adrian Osborne said: “Violent crime is a high profile and important issue and something we are committed to tackling with the other emergency services.

“We welcome any new study that helps us to continue to improve the care we provide in our hospitals.”

The trust has a “zero tolerance” policy regarding violent attacks on staff from patients and families and have been warned that treatment could be withdrawn if doctors or nurses are abused.

Today’s study also found an increase of almost a quarter in violence affecting middle-aged people.

Men and women aged between 31 and 50 attending A&E went up by 24 per cent, the Violence and Society Research Group discovered.

The group’s director, Professor Jonathan Shepherd, said: “The big problem is alcohol-related violence in towns and city centres.”

By Dave Morris