Patients were left shocked when a man on their hospital ward attacked two nurses and a porter.
The incident happened on Ward 29 of Leicester General Hospital, in Leicester, at about 10pm on Wednesday.
The male patient was being offered his medication before going to sleep when he attacked the female nurse, hitting her in the ribs and throat.
Witness Courtney Mill, 21, who was being treated on the ward for pancreatitis, saw the attack.
"The patient was being given medicine before going to bed," said Courtney.
"He bashed the medicine out of the nurse's hand and punched her in the ribs. She was hit again in the throat and the arm by him and kicked in the leg.
"He grabbed another nurse and a porter went to help and the patient bit the porter on the chest.
"The security guards had to restrain him because he was so violent."
Another patient on the ward, John Barrow, 72, said: "I was at the other end of the ward and I could hear the nurse screaming.
"It was terrible. It was obviously a pretty bad attack and the nurse said she had sore ribs afterwards, but she was back at work the next day."
The University of Leicester Hospitals Trust confirmed the incident had happened. It said it could not give any details about the patient involved in the incident, but said staff were trained to deal with such incidents.
Heather Leatham, head of nursing at Leicester's hospitals, said: "Unfortunately, patients who are confused, often caused by their illness, can feel bewildered or anxious when they're in hospital and this can sometimes lead to periods of aggression. Dealing with aggressive behaviour is not easy, and there are no simple answers.
"However, our staff are trained to manage these situations and call for support from colleagues with greater expertise in this field if necessary.
"Any form of aggression can be upsetting, particularly for those who witness it, but the most important thing to remember is that these patients are often not being aggressive deliberately.
"Our priority is to calm the patient and make them, and those around them, safe.
"We can and will ensure that the patient receives the appropriate care and treatment and if necessary is observed round the clock by a member of staff to prevent further incidents."
