Scotland’s largest NHS board has been forced to formulate a stalking policy after doctors and nurses were followed, photographed and harassed.

While not identifying how many people had been subjected to the treatment, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which employs more than 44,000 people, said there had been a “number of incidents” where members of staff were badgered and had their property damaged.

The first steps have now been taken to counteract the problem, with the trust and Strathclyde Police forming a working group to manage the issue.

Proposals under consideration include the logging of all suspicious incidents, the implementation of “buddying-up” system and the possible use of GPS tracking.

Dr Anne MacDonald, a consultant forensic psychiatrist at the health board and a member of the group, said: “It is totally unacceptable that any of our staff should have to face and endure the trauma of being stalked and our stance is very much one of zero tolerance to this kind of abuse.”

The stalking policy could be completed and introduced before the end of the year.