Half of nurses have been injured by needles used on patients, with many fearing they could be at risk of diseases like HIV and hepatitis C.

Nine out of ten nurses surveyed by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said their last injury from a needle drew blood and the head of the union warned of the "potentially lethal consequences" for nurses of being injured by needles.
The RCN's study of almost 5,000 nurses revealed 48% had been injured by a needle that had previously been used on a patient, and a third, 34%, feared they might contract a disease.
While most nurses received information from their employer on the risks of blood-borne diseases, more than one in four, 28%, did not. Only a third of nurses working within the NHS who had suffered an injury, regarded the support offered by their employer as adequate.
Some 94% of employers have a "sharps" policy that covers prevention and reporting, but only 55% of nurses have received any training from their employer on safer needle use, the survey found.
Almost all nurses, 96%, surveyed said they used needles as part of their job. The findings are published in the RCN's Needlestick Injury in 2008 report, which is being presented in the House of Commons.
The RCN's chief executive and general secretary, Dr Peter Carter said: "It is clear that needle injuries are an everyday threat for nurses up and down the country.
"With potentially lethal consequences, being stuck by a needle can be a very traumatic experience, yet too many employers in the NHS fail to provide the necessary support to nurses. It is therefore no surprise that over half of nurses are working in fear of being stuck and injured by a needle.
"Government and employers in the NHS need to start taking this issue seriously by introducing needle policies and investing in safer alternatives to traditional needles so that these accidents don't happen in the first place.
"Nurses should also receive full support from their employers when they sustain an injury because no-one wants to feel isolated and alone when going through such trauma. We look forward to working with the Government, regulators and employers to solve this widespread problem."