ABOUT 400 hospital staff were assaulted in the region in the past financial year.

A total 393 doctors and nurses reported a patient attacking them in the Darling Downs area in the 2013-14 financial year, which made up about 9% of the state's total.

People who assault paramedics, doctors and nurses now face 14 years in jail, after new penalties were introduced in Queensland Parliament last month.

Queensland emergency department doctor David Rosengren said the new laws were "excellent" and enforced the message to patients that it was their responsibility not to be aggressive or violent towards medical staff.

Dr Rosengren said one of his colleagues had recently been "savagely" punched in the head, without warning.

"Even though we've been doing it for many years, occasionally and unexpectedly we do get nurses and doctors who get belted across the head," he said.

"For us, as an emergency department doctor and nurse, part of your job is being alert to physical violence and assault is a risk.

"It's part of what we do and is part of the job. It doesn't make it right or wrong but over time we've come very accustomed to that in our environment and we try very hard to work around it."

While Dr Rosengren said most doctors and nurses considered tougher penalties for offenders were a good initiative, he was not sure how it would be enforced legally.

In the past he said patients who had been violent used an excuse that they suffered a mental health issue or were alcohol or drug affected.

He said it was common for them to walk away without much penalty or disincentive.

"There are some anxieties about the practicalities about it," Dr Rosengren said.

"It is excellent the government has put in a strong position on that.

"Time will tell through the legal system on how that is enforced and how it works to reinforce that message to the community that you can't just turn up to a hospital and strike out or punch or kick or slap doctors and nurses who are doing their best to provide care for you."

ASSAULTS:

393 doctors/nurses assaulted in 2013-14 in Darling Downs

This was 9.15% of the state

0 paramedics assaulted in Warwick in 2013-14, 9 in Darling Downs area

 2 paramedics assaulted in Warwick 2012-13, 6 in Darling Downs area