Police were called to the accident and emergency department at Royal Bolton Hospital on Friday afternoon after reports that a man attacked people in the waiting room, prompting officers and hospital security staff to intervene as patients looked on.
Greater Manchester Police said officers were called at about 4.15pm and arrested “one man in his 20s” on suspicion of “s18 and s47 assault, police assault and racially aggravated public order.” The force did not provide further details about any injuries or the circumstances leading up to the incident.
Accounts reported that the suspect had been brought to the hospital by police before the disturbance began. The man was alleged to have shouted at other patients and then assaulted people in the waiting area, including punching one person to the ground and biting another on the ear, according to reports citing witnesses at the scene.
A witness identified in reports as Michael Anderson, who said he was in the department with his pregnant partner, described helping to restrain the man. The witness said he and a nurse pinned the suspect to the floor until security arrived, according to reports.
Photographs published from outside the emergency department showed police vehicles near the entrance as officers responded. The incident took place in the public-facing waiting area of the A&E, where patients typically sit while awaiting triage and treatment, and where disturbances can escalate quickly because of crowding, long waits and high levels of distress.
The police statement suggested multiple alleged offences were being considered. In England and Wales, section 18 and section 47 refer to offences under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, covering serious assault allegations, while racially aggravated public order offences can result in higher penalties when hostility related to race is alleged as an aggravating factor. Police did not say what words were used or what behaviour formed the basis for the racially aggravated element.
Royal Bolton Hospital is part of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. The trust was approached for comment in reports, but no further statement was included at the time.
The incident in Bolton comes amid longstanding concern across the NHS about violence and aggression faced by staff and patients in urgent and emergency care settings, where pressure can be intense and unpredictable. A&E departments, in particular, often operate under strain, with high footfall and long queues during winter, and staff regularly handling patients and relatives who may be anxious, intoxicated, confused or in mental health crisis.
Data published by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives has shown a steep rise in reported violence and abuse in the ambulance sector, which often overlaps with emergency department pressures through handovers and frontline response. The organisation said there were 22,536 incidents of violence, aggression and abuse directed at ambulance staff across the UK’s fourteen ambulance services in the 2024 to 2025 financial year, a rise of almost 15% on the year before and the highest level it said had been recorded.
The group said that equated to at least 62 ambulance workers being abused or attacked every day, and that reported incidents included “kicking, punching, slapping, head-butting, spitting, verbal abuse and sexual assault,” ranging from common assault to serious attacks involving weapons. It said many incidents go unreported, meaning the true figure is likely higher.
Jason Killens, chair of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust, said the figures were “truly shocking” and reflected “a pattern of increased violence, aggression and abuse directed at hard-working ambulance people who are there to help people in their times of greatest need.” He added: “Frontline staff as well as call handlers are affected by this horrendous abuse and this unacceptable behaviour has a major long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of ambulance people who are simply trying to do their jobs and help save lives.”
Killens said the sector was seeking to engage with UK health ministers “at the highest level” to explore interventions to deter assaults, and he urged the courts to use available laws to ensure consistent sentencing for those convicted of attacks on healthcare workers.
Anna Parry, managing director of the organisation, said the figures were “beyond worrying” and meant ambulance employees faced “the very real possibility of being subject to violence or abuse each time they start a shift.” She said the problem could have a lasting impact on wellbeing and sometimes led to staff leaving.
The ambulance leaders’ report cited the NHS Staff Survey published in March 2025, saying it found 38% of frontline operational NHS ambulance staff had been physically attacked or experienced physical violence at work in the previous 12 months, with 52% reporting harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or members of the public.
While the Bolton incident took place inside a hospital waiting room rather than on an ambulance callout, experts and NHS leaders have long argued that emergency care settings share similar risk factors: heightened emotions, alcohol and drug intoxication, mental health crises, and the volatility that can accompany delays in care. The ambulance leaders’ report said alcohol was the most prominent factor in assaults against ambulance staff, followed by drugs and people in mental health crisis, and that race and sexuality had increased as exacerbating factors.
Ambulance services and hospitals have introduced measures aimed at prevention and evidence gathering, including specialist violence prevention teams and body-worn video. The ambulance leaders’ report said body-worn cameras had been introduced across all English NHS ambulance services, alongside training and post-incident support for staff.
In Bolton, police have not said whether any weapon was involved, whether the suspect was already under arrest or being assisted for medical reasons, or whether the disturbance was linked to intoxication, mental health or other factors. The absence of detailed information means the incident remains primarily framed by the allegations of assault and the offences being investigated.
The immediate focus is likely to remain on the condition of those involved and on the criminal investigation. The man arrested was taken into custody, and police did not say whether he had been charged.
Hospitals typically rely on a mix of security staff, clinical teams and police support to manage serious disturbances, but high-profile incidents can prompt reviews of staffing, entry controls and procedures for dealing with violent behaviour. For patients in the waiting room, such incidents can add fear and disruption to what is already one of the most stressful points of contact with the health service, particularly for those arriving in pain, with children, or in vulnerable situations.
Greater Manchester Police said the arrest was made at the scene. Bolton NHS Foundation Trust had been approached for comment in reports.
