A nurse is in critical condition after being stabbed in a suspected attempted murder at a hospital ER, according to police.

The attack occurred around 11:30 pm on Saturday at the Royal Oldham Hospital in Greater Manchester, where the nurse, in her 50s, was on duty. She suffered "life-changing" injuries and is currently receiving treatment.

A 37-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in police custody. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) stated there is no ongoing threat to the public, and they are not seeking any other suspects. Detectives have launched a major investigation into the incident and its possible motive.

It is understood the nurse was set upon with a sharp instrument – not a knife – in the busy A&E department of the hospital, eight miles north-east of Manchester.

DS Craig Roters, from GMP’s Oldham district, said: “This is a serious incident, which has left a woman in a critical condition. Our thoughts are with her family and colleagues, and we will continue to support them throughout this investigation.

“The local community can expect to see an increase in police presence whilst we carry out inquiries, but they are also there to offer reassurance and answer any questions you may have. We know that news of this nature will come as a shock, and if you have any concerns or anything you would like to share, please speak to them.”

Jim McMahon, the MP for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, said he wished the nurse a full recovery after the “senseless attack”.

He said: “We are all shocked at the senseless attack on a nurse in the A&E department of the Royal Oldham hospital. Our thoughts are with the nurse, family and friends as we wish a full recovery.”

Nursing leaders have sounded the alarm over the increasing abuse faced by NHS staff. A 2023 NHS staff survey revealed that 13.7% of employees had experienced at least one instance of physical violence over the past year, with the figure rising to 27.6% among ambulance staff.

While annual data on abuse against frontline health workers in England is lacking, research indicates that such incidents have been on the rise for nearly a decade.

In 2018, Unison, the UK’s largest health union, reported a 6% increase in physical assaults on NHS hospital staff in 2016-17, totaling over 56,000 cases compared to the previous year. This translates to an average of more than 200 reported physical assaults on NHS staff daily.

The actual number, however, is thought to be much higher because only three-quarters of NHS Trusts complied with Unison's and the Health Service Journal's freedom of information requests.

The Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) hospital in Nottingham saw an increase in violent events last year, according to a Guardian study. The NHS trust that operates QMC and its sister hospital, City, recorded 1,167 events in the six months from April to September 2023. This is nearly the same number of incidents that was documented in the entire 12 months of 2021–22 (1,237).