Doctors and nurses could soon work off their aggression in a new £10,000 stress-busting room planned at an Oxford hospital, writes Victoria Owen.

A new staff Internet cafe is also being proposed as part of the redevelopment plans at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, in Headington.

Managers hope the new facilities will help retain workers, during a time when most NHS trusts are struggling to recruit nurses.

The stress-busting room will include punch bags and ball pits to help employees release pent-up tensions.

Personnel director Andrew Anderson said: "It will be a place where staff can work off their aggression with punch bags.

"There could be ball pits where you can throw yourself around, which you see in children's play areas but the details haven't been worked out yet."

Employees suggested the scheme after the Government awarded the hospital £25,000 for staff facilities.

Although new changing and shower room for cyclists, drinking water dispensers and an Internet cafe topped the list of ideas during a workers' consultation process, managers hope to plough extra cash from the staff lottery into the stress-busting room.

Proceeds from the game which uses employee payroll numbers are used to make improvements for workers around the NOC's Windmill Road site.

Mr Anderson said: "The first three ideas will be taken up at the NOC, but the shower rooms alone will cost £15,000, so we hope we can use the lottery money for the stress-busting room."

The new schemes will replace current facilities, including an outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts, which will be closed down to make room for new wards planned at the NOC.

NOC spokesman Sally watts said: "The pool was only used for about four months of the year so it wasn't a year-round facility.

"Because we knew it was going to be lost, last summer staff did not have to pay to use it.