Hospital chiefs today welcomed government action to get tough on aggressive patients and visitors, after an abusive gang gathered outside York's accident and emergency department.

Staff locked doors to stop members of the group getting into York District Hospital, and phoned police late on Saturday night.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "One of the sisters at the hospital phoned us saying there was quite a large group which was being generally abusive.

"She said the casualty doors had been locked. When we arrived the group had dispersed."

The deputy chief executive of the York Health Services Trust, George Wood, said: "This was nothing unusual. It happens, particularly at weekends.

"It is not uncommon for someone to come in for treatment and a number of people to come with them. This incident caused no disruption to the operation of the department."

But today a "get tough" policy announced by Health Secretary Alan Milburn to target trouble patients got the backing of the York trust.

Mr Milburn has unveiled plans to "red card" persistent offenders for one year, barring them from NHS treatment.

Patients could also lose their right to free treatment on the NHS if their relatives abuse staff.

Mr Milburn said he was "sickened" by the attacks and abuse suffered by doctors and nurses in the line of duty.

Violence, offensive sexual gestures or behaviour, or threatening or abusive language could get patients barred.

They would be given one warning - a "yellow card" - and dismissed if they repeated the behaviour.

Mr Milburn said: "One violent incident is one too many. It is just unacceptable that those who go to work for others should be subjected to violence or intimidation and we have got to do something about it."

Guidelines on barring patients are to be sent to every NHS Trust in the country later this year.

Mr Milburn said: "Witholding treatment should only ever be a last resort, subject to stringent safeguards.

"But where a patient is persistently violent and abusive and where no other course of action proves possible, I will stand four-square behind trusts who take tough action to protect staff."

Mr Wood said: "For some time, York District Hospital has had a policy of contacting the police if anybody is using threatening behaviour.

"It is very important that we provide necessary protection for our staff, and we would certainly welcome anything reinforcing this from the Secretary of State."

Updated: 16:07 Monday, June 18, 2001