The NHS must pay out around £165,000 a week in compensation to staff attacked by violent patients.
Data shows that £31.4 million has been paid out in 1,496 cases over the past seven years, with legal costs almost doubling the bill for taxpayers to £28.4 million.
Approximately £21,000 was paid out to each victim, but in some cases this figure was much higher.
In one example, a mental health nurse was awarded £475,000 after a patient threw a television at her, while a healthcare assistant was awarded £55,000 after a dementia patient kicked her, pulled her hair and held her face against a kitchen worktop.
The violent disorder has become so bad in recent years that many A&E departments now have security guards to deal with patients who are into drink or drugs.
NHS figures also showed that 217 members of the public also received compensation for hospital attacks in the same seven-year period. These payouts only occur if the health care system admits that it should have done more to protect victims.
Matthew Tuff, of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, told the Mirror: 'No one should ever have to go to work and suffer violence for simply doing their job and helping others.'
The NHS added: 'Any attack or abuse towards NHS staff is completely unacceptable. We expect that swift action will be taken against anyone found responsible for abuse.
Data shows £31.4 million has been paid out in 1,496 cases over the past seven years, with legal costs almost doubling the bill to £28.4 million (file image)
Approximately £21,000 was paid out to each victim, but in some cases this figure was much higher (file image)
'The NHS remains fully committed to tackling abuse against staff through work programmes.'
Figures also showed that almost 700 lawsuits related to preventable skin infections have been settled in the past two years.
Bedsores – also called pressure ulcers – occur when a patient's skin is continually damaged in one spot by pressure, due to a lack of movement.
If left untreated, they can become a blister or open wound, causing debilitating pain or even life-threatening infections.
Compensation data, obtained through a Freedom of Information request by medical bed firm Opera Beds, shows that Sheffield Teaching Hospitals paid out the most, at £1.7 million in 12 cases.
Prevention of pressure sores includes regular repositioning by staff when a patient is bedridden or immobile, the use of pressure-relieving devices, skin care, and nutritional support.
The data also showed that East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust saw an 81 per cent reduction in the number of reported pressure ulcers over the past year.
The Trust said this was partly due to staff being trained in preventing pressure sores, while patients were also advised to exercise as regularly as possible, use pillows to elevate affected areas and be reminded Stay hydrated to prevent the condition.
The Royal College Nurses (RCN) warned that preventing pressure ulcers can be 'life-saving' but that staff shortages are partly to blame.
An RCN spokesperson said: 'This type of vital care can be overlooked due to the chronic shortage of nursing staff, which needs to be addressed.'
A study published earlier this month in the journal BMC Nursing found that 90 percent of pressure sores could be prevented.
