An anti-violence policy has been launched by junior health minister Gisela Stuart at Sandwell Healthcare trust, where 38 per cent of staff have been subjected to violence or aggression at work in the past 12 months. The policy, which is part of the government's zero-tolerance zone campaign, includes training for staff, who will be issued with a 'credit card' pledge underlining the trust's commitment to reduce violence and featuring emergency numbers and advice about what to do in an aggressive situation. Trust chief executive David Lingwood said: 'As a trust, we will withdraw patient care if necessary to ensure our staff are safe. '